Ontario’s first female premier hopes to mend fences
with agriculture post
KAREN DAVIDSON
The rural-urban divide in
Ontario’s last election left the
Liberal government in minority
territory, a position so weakened
that premier Kathleen Wynne has
taken the mantle of agriculture
and food minister in hopes of
mending fences. While living up
to her campaign pledge, she surprised many by splitting rural
affairs into a stand-alone ministry.
As rural affairs minister, newcomer Jeff Leal will stickhandle
the controversial issues of wind
farms, green energy and a host of
issues that intersect with other
ministries.
“I’m not sure whether it’s a
good thing or bad thing for the
premier to also be the agriculture
minister,” says John Hambly,
Gwillimbury Farms. He and his
wife Cristina own the diverse horticultural and cash crop operation
near Bradford, Ontario where the
premier’s office staged her ministerial announcement just days
before the official swearing-in on
February 11.
With the Holland Marsh as a
symbolic backdrop, Wynne met
with the farm family and a small
roundtable of farmers’ groups.
The Don Valley West MPP
pledged to hold the position for a
year, a guaranteed upward climb
that will require sturdier footwear
than the red rubber boots she

INSIDE
Greenhouse acres
stack up

Page 5

Fruit Logistica
showcases innovators Page 9

The best of Ontario Fruit
and Vegetable
Convention
B section

www.thegrower.org
P.M. 40012319

Ontario’s new premier Kathleen Wynne (far right) met with John and Cristina Hambly (next to Wynne) and children Alexa, Christopher and
John to view their carrot washing and packing operation at Gwillimbury Farms at Bradford, Ontario. Photo by Jody Motts.
wore at the winter event.
What Hambly and other farm
leaders want is the untangling of
bureaucratic red tape that’s
required to keep farms in compliance with a complex web of rules.
For 2900 acres, 800 of which are
in vegetables, Hambly says he
hires one full-time person to do
just government paperwork.
That Wynne would go to the
salad bowl to announce her
takeover of the ag ministry’s
portfolio from party stalwart Ted
McMeekin is purely political. For
starters, her invitation to only
Toronto media -- not farm media
-- was calculated. Wynne
appeared in one of the province’s
staunchest Conservative ridings to
send a message that she commits
wholeheartedly to rural Ontario.
She specifically spent some time
talking to John and Cristina
Hambly’s children about their
prospects for continuing the
family farm.
It wasn’t her first visit to the
area. The Holland Marsh
Growers’ Association (HMGA)

hosted her during the leadership
campaign as well as contender
Gerard Kennedy. In that setting,
the growers presented their top-10
priority list of which a definition
of farming and food ranks the
highest.
As Jamie Reaume, HMGA
executive director recalls, he
asked her a simple question:
“Where are you?”
Wynne’s predictable response:
“I’m on a farm.”
The conversation that ensued
was educational, as Reaume
explained how various government ministries view farming.
“No you’re not,” he replied.
“According to the Ministry of
Environment, you’re at a sewage
distribution centre. According to
the Ministry of Natural
Resources, you’re standing on
sensitive wetlands.”
That interchange is a clever
way to demonstrate the complexity of legislation that horticultural
farmers are facing. And when it
comes to the definition of
farming, growers are particularly

incensed. “We don’t understand
why a horse owner who makes
$7000 per year on the farm can
claim agriculture deductions
while driving his BMW into his
law practice in downtown
Toronto,” says Reaume.
What comes in the weeks
ahead will be riveting to watch.
The new premier will be
depending on Deborah Stark, a
newly minted deputy minister of
agriculture with a deep resume.
More than ever, this highly
respected veterinarian by profession, will be the pivot to other
ministries. One of the biggest
issues is to resolve whether horticulture’s washwater and rainwater
runoff can be regulated under the
Nutrient Management Act.
“I see the new premier taking
on the ag portfolio as a positive
move,” says Ray Duc, chair,
Ontario Fruit and Vegetable
Growers’ Association. “She’s
reaching out to rural Ontario.
From our standpoint, we’re
looking forward to working with
her on food safety, the buy-local

legislation and water issues.”
Another farm leader also sees
an opportunity in the new
political firmament.

“

I see the new
premier taking on the
ag portfolio as a
positive move.”
~ Ray Duc
“This will raise the profile of
agriculture and food,” says Mark
Wales, president of the Ontario
Federation of Agriculture “We
now have access to the head of
cabinet to bring forward issues
and solutions. In Deb Matthews,
deputy premier and minister of
health, we have an advocate for
local food and healthy eating.
This might not last long enough,
given that we don’t know where
politics are going. Wynne needs
time to govern.”

PAGE 2 –– MARCH 2013
THE GROWER

AT PRESS TIME…
CanadaGAP
recognized at
international level
CanadaGAP, the Canadian
food safety program for fresh
fruit and vegetable suppliers, has
been successfully re-benchmarked by the Global Food
Safety Initiative (GFSI). The
benchmarking process determines
equivalency against an internationally recognized set of food
safety requirements, based on
industry best practice and sound
science.
CanadaGAP joins a handful of
other food safety schemes that
have undergone GFSI’s thorough
and comprehensive review
process. Updates are available at
www.mygfsi.com.

Planning for farm
succession
The Agricultural Management
Institute (AMI) is releasing a
five-part series on the unique
challenges that farmers face when
tackling farm succession. “When
it comes to farm business management, succession is one of the
most difficult tasks,” says Ryan
Koeslag, executive director, AMI.
The video series is the second
from AMI’s farm business eTeam
which launched an eight-part
series in 2012 on farm business
management. Videos can be
sourced on AMI’s YouTube
channel:
www.youtube.com/amiontario; or
from the AMI website:
www.TakeANewApproach.ca

China from an ag
perspective
The Canada-China Agriculture
and Food Development Exchange
Centre will be hosting an agritour to China from October 11 –
22, 2013. Invitations are open to
members of the Ontario Institute
of Agrology as well as horticultural farmers. The 10-day tour
will feature visits to: Beijing,
Xian, Lhasa, Shanghai and the
Yangtze River. Also included are
visits to various types of small
and large farm operations, local
farmers’ markets, Nanshan
Botanical Garden and lunch at the
Eco-Restaurant in Xian.
The group, which fosters closer agricultural ties between both
countries, is celebrating its fifth
anniversary this year. The tour
will be headed by Doug Yungblut
and Doug Waters. For more tour
information, contact
admin@ccagr.com.

OFFMA: Champions
are 40 years in the
making
Forty years ago, the Ontario
Farm Fresh Marketing
Association was formed to promote the direct farm marketing
industry, encourage improvements and maintain integrity in
the industry. Champions of the
industry were recognized at a
recent awards gala.
The catagories include:
Leadership: Congratulations
to Joy and Earl Stanley from
Stanley’s Olde Maple Farm.They

NEWSMAKERS
have personally visited several
members across the province,
hosted hospitality suites for many
events, encouraged on-farm marketers to join OFFMA and put
many miles on their vehicles to
participate in the annual potlucks.
Visit www.stanleysfarm.com
Food Innovation: Geissberger
Farmhouse Cider grows apples
which are pressed in a mobile
cider mill that can be moved from
farm to farm. The final product is
presented in a vacuum sealed bag
in a box system without preservatives that requires no refrigeration
and a terrific shelf life. Check out
www.farmhousecider.ca.
Outstanding Farm
Marketer: Brooks Farms was
recognized for all the great products and activities they offer on
their farm near Mount Albert.
The serendipitous combination of
Paul’s agricultural background
and Kelly’s graphic design skills
has created a brand second to
none. Brooks Farms offers everything from a Maple Sugar
Festival to Pumpkin PYO fields
and a barnyard playland. Visit
www.brooksfarms.com.
Ontario Farm Fresh
Ambassador Award: Mairlyn
Smith, cookbook author and local
food promoter is a regular on
both Cityline and Breakfast
Television. Her gift to the direct
farm marketing industry is that
she never misses an opportunity
to promote buying directly from a
farmer. Humour is her secret
weapon; she can make people
laugh while she is teaching them
to eat well and to make good
decisions about their food. She’s
an ambassador in every sense of
the word.

Ontario’s new premier,
Kathleen Wynne, has also
assumed the portfolio for agriculture and food while creating
a separate ministry for rural
affairs under Jeff Leal. Barring
an election, she intends to hold
the position for one year. Born
on May 21, 1953, she was first
elected to the Ontario legislature in 2003. She has held
several ministerial files including education, transportation
and most recently municipal affairs,
housing and aboriginal affairs.

Kathleen Wynne

Ted McMeekin, the former ag minister moves to the community
and social services portfolio. Other new ministers in portfolios that
affect agriculture are: Charles Sousa, finance; Bob Chiarelli,
energy; Yasir Naqvi, labour. Jim Bradley remains at the helm of
environment.
Jason Verkaik is the new vice-chair of the Ontario Fruit and
Vegetable Growers’ Association. His Carron Farms operation produces carrots and onions in the Holland Marsh.
The Ontario Fruit and Vegetable Convention announced winners of
its first-ever Innovation Awards. Best Packaging Systems Inc.
won for Most Innovative Product for its combination of machine
and stretch tape to contain pallets with 100 per cent ventilation.
Provide Agro won honours for Most Innovative Service for
AquaPulse Systems chlorine dioxide water treatment. For details,
see B1.
Congrats to Tony Sgambelluri, 2012 award of merit recipient from
the Niagara Peninsula Fruit & Vegetable Growers’ Association.
It’s official. Heather Gale becomes executive director, CanAgPlus,
after serving in an interim role. She has been national program
manager of CanadaGAP since 2005 and has been instrumental in
the program transition to CanAgPlus.
United Fresh Produce Association has set up the Produce Marketing
and Merchandising Council to be chaired by Roger Pepperi,
marketing director at Stemilt Growers. The Finance and Business
Management Council is to be chaired by Scott Danner, chief
operating officer of Liberty Fruit Co.
Ontario Processing Vegetable Growers recently held their annual
general meeting. Bruce Shackleton is chair and Jim Poole is vicechair.
Desmond Layne, known to many as the PeachDoctor, has left
Clemson University, Georgia for the position of Endowed Chair,
Tree Fruit Extension Program Lead Professor of Pomology at
Washington State University. He started the Tasty Peach Challenge
which became well-known in the U.S. He’s proudly claimed as one
of Ontario’s own, the son of Dick Layne, a peach breeder at
Harrow.
The Ontario Agricultural Hall of Fame has announced its 2013
inductees including Hector Delanghe, Delhaven Farms, Blenheim,
Ontario. The official ceremony takes place in June.
In other honours this month, Delhaven Farms took first prize in the
3rd Annual Sweet Cider Competition. Second place winner was Al
Ferri & Sons and third place was Spirit Tree Cidery.
The Ontario Soil and Crop Improvement Association has elected its
2013 president, Henry Denotter, a grain producer from Kingsville.
One of the take-aways from the annual general meeting was: “The
social license to operate is about getting and keeping access to valuable business resources like markets, financing, talent, raw material,
infrastructure sites and legal permits by winning acceptance and
approval from communities.”
Brenda Lammens was elected to the Agricultural Adaptation
Council board of directors in December 2012 as one of two horticultural representatives. She and her husband, Raymond, operate
Spearit Farms. She is past chair of the Asparagus Farmers of
Ontario and the Ontario Fruit and Vegetable Growers’ Association.
She currently serves as vice-chair of the Agricultural Management
Institute. Last fall, she was also named by OMAFRA minister Ted
McMeekin to the Growing Forward 2 Strategic Initiatives
Innovation-Industry Roundtable.

MARCH 2013 â&#x20AC;&#x201C;â&#x20AC;&#x201C; PAGE 3
THE GROWER

NEW MARKETS

Hard numbers help assess risk in growing global crops
KAREN DAVIDSON
So what would it take for grocers to
boot imported crops -- okra or Asian eggplant -- off the shelves for local, in-season
product? Can growers overcome the risks
to make a profit?
On February 6, in the most public forum
to date, Ontario growers and retailers met
together courtesy of Vineland Research
and Innovation Centre to answer those
questions with some hard numbers. In a
private session, they held a speed-dating
round of introductions to see if there were
any matches for the upcoming season.
â&#x20AC;&#x153;Weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re always open to new products,â&#x20AC;?
says Bruno Bertucci, produce buyer for
Longoâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s. â&#x20AC;&#x153;As the commodity grows, you
grow with the company. It would be great
to have a cooperative approach with say
four farmers selling under one brand for
economies of scale. We really donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t like to
switch back and forth between local and
imports.â&#x20AC;?
Bertucci also got nitty-gritty. For okra,
match the import size: 12 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 14 lb. per box.
Those nuggets of advice are worth
hoarding. Like sweet potatoes a decade
ago, okra, Asian eggplant and yard-long
beans are becoming more standard fare in
Canadaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s largest cities. And because of
both consumer and production research,
growers are finally feeling more confident
about experimenting with these crops.
â&#x20AC;&#x153;Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s an exciting opportunity to be in
world crops,â&#x20AC;? said Jason Verkaik, a carrot
and onion grower in the Holland Marsh.
â&#x20AC;&#x153;If we can harvest a little earlier than our
root crops, then we have cash flow earlier
too.â&#x20AC;?
Verkaik experimented first with Indian
red carrots 10 years ago, but found it difficult to maintain a consistent seed supply of
varieties that would work in his soils. Heâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s
been more successful with heirloom carrots, working with the Canyon Creek
restaurant chain. For the fall harvest of
2011 and 2012, he delivered a set quantity
for an eight-week run to coincide with a
local harvest menu unique to the chain.
Heâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s also experimented with tomatillos,
but in 2012, the chef moved on after his
seedlings were in the ground.
That left Verkaik with two acres of
tomatillos that ended up in homemade
salsa verde.
â&#x20AC;&#x153;Thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a danger in flooding the market,â&#x20AC;? admits Verkaik. â&#x20AC;&#x153;But if you look at
the numbers, chains such as Sobeys and
Longoâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s are slowly changing from imports
if local produce can meet the price points.
Some products work and others donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t
based on labour.â&#x20AC;?
The demand signals are obvious at the
Ontario Food Terminal says general manager Bruce Nicholas. Just take a stroll
through Veg-Pak Produce in mid-summer.
Rick and Vic Carnevale will show all the

products that are widely available to green
grocers and large-box retailers alike. They
specialize in leafy greens as well as
imported global crops.
Thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s an opportunity for Ontario
growers to take the seasonal part of that
market with Nicholasâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; caveat: â&#x20AC;&#x153;There noâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s
loyalty to local. Loyalty is to the dollar.
The dollar rules and you must have your
product meet quality standards.â&#x20AC;?
For some cultural groups, quality is
judged differently. Thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s where Isabelle
Lesschaeveâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s findings are vital. As
research director of VRICâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s consumer
insights and production innovation, sheâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s
delved into the specifics with Asian and
African-Caribbean communities, trying to
understand what aspects of locally grown
vegetables would measure up to the produce imported from their homelands.
In her 2012 consumer trials, she found
external appearance is the most important
characteristic for Asians while freshness is
top of mind for Chinese. Firmness trumps
all for those of African-Caribbean descent.
Fortunately, Ontario-grown produce scores
high for all groups. If consumers had their
druthers, all produce would be priced at
$1.29 per pound or lower.
â&#x20AC;&#x153;Thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a big demand for okra,â&#x20AC;?
reports Lesschaeve. She estimates 25 million pounds in season which translates to
2600 acres. Less than 10 acres are grown
in Ontario now.
To meet the demand for Asian long

MARKET SIZE AND VALUE, PRODUCTION ECONOMICS FOR ASIAN EGGPLANT

eggplant in season, 21 million pounds are
needed or about 1000 acres. Eggplant is
worth $33 million in just the Greater
Toronto Area alone.
Yard-long beans are worth $60 million
in season, but itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s expensive to grow due to

Rick Carnevale (left) and his father Vic, Veg-Pak Produce, specialize in leafy greens and
many global vegetables including several varieties of eggplant at the Ontario Food
Terminal. Photos by Glenn Lowson.

the need for trellises. Early economic data
shows itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s not profitable to grow under current practices. More production research is
needed to grow this crop locally and compete with imports.
For all these crops, some growers are

Network with
produce industry
professionals,
learn about all the
industry has to
offer and build your
business in Canada.

running trials under the production tutelage
of Ahmed Bilal and post-harvest handling
of Bernard Goyette, both stationed at
VRIC.
CONTINUED ON PAGE 4

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PAGE 4 –– MARCH 2013
THE GROWER

ECONOMICS

Hard numbers help assess risk in growing global crops
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 3
For those growers in the
Holland Marsh, global crops
aren’t new. The Muck Research
Station has contributed to a
wealth of knowledge for those
who have grown bok choy, nappa
cabbage and other crops favoured
by the Chinese community.
Interest in global crops is
broadening from the niche to
mainstream.
Streef Produce, one of the few
commission houses at the Ontario
Food Terminal which still grows
as well as markets, is considering
diversifying its 2500 acres at

Agronomics
The opportunities in global
crops are not without hurdles.
OMAFRA’s Melanie Filotas, IPM
specialist for specialty crops,
outlined the challenges of finding
crop protection products
registered for these new crops.
She detailed the differences
between crop groupings and
sub-groupings.
With food safety top of mind,
questions linger about the level of
training given to third-party
auditors for specialty crops. No
grower wants to be offside during
an audit. To help growers be more
knowledgeable, a special crop
opportunity section will be
launched in March on
OMAFRA’s website.

Princeton, Ontario. “Due to
variable weather, we can’t have
all our eggs in one basket,” says
Chris Streef.
Jason Verkaik concludes: “The
buzz around these veggies goes
beyond ethnicities. When there

are recipes for these new veggies
in Canadian Living magazine, we
know the box has moved. As
growers, we must adapt to the
paradigm shift.”
Jason Verkaik, Carron Farms, has experimented with tomatillos on his
Bradford, Ontario farm with mixed success. Photos by Glenn Lowson.

MARKET SIZE AND VALUE, PRODUCTION ECONOMICS FOR OKRA

Slides courtesy of
Issabelle Lesschaeve,
VRIC

INTERNATIONAL
RESEARCH

FOOD SAFETY

SUPER FRUIT

Washington state
growers invest in
future

Produce tagged as
culprit

Little blue dynamos
propel growth

Of all foodborne illnesses in
the U.S. in the last decade, 46
per cent was caused by produce,
with produce accounting for 23
per cent of food-related deaths.
The Center for Disease Control
and Prevention released these
statistics based on data from
1998-2008.
Since then, many new food
safety provisions are now in
place. The founding of the
Center for Produce Safety (CPS)
at the University of CaliforniaDavis has led to millions invested in practical solutions to food
safety.
“A lot of produce-related illnesses result from mishandling
by consumers — the so-called
church supper syndrome,” said
David Gombas, United Fresh
Produce Association, referring to
foods being left at room temperature too long.

Highbush blueberries are predicted to crest at a global total of
1.4 billion pounds in 2015,
according to the U.S. Highbush
Blueberry Council. The health
halo of blueberries is behind the

Cherry and stone fruit growers
are investing $5 million in the
next eight years for Washington
State University’s (WSU)
research and extension centers in
Prosser and Wenatchee. The
move follows a vote by apple
and pear growers to spend $27
million.
On the ground, the assessment
translates into $4 per ton for
cherry growers and $1 per ton for
stone fruit growers.
Specifically, the funds will be
allocated as follows:
• $12 million to establish
endowed chairs that will provide
perpetual support for the tree
fruit research program. WSU will
cover the salary and benefit costs
for each faculty position.
• $12 million to create an
endowment to establish new
positions in tree fruit production
regions to accelerate the transfer
of new information and technologies for Washington growers and

Desmond Layne, Tree Fruit
Extension Program Lead
Professor of Pomology at
Washington State University
shippers. These positions will
reinvigorate WSU extension
activities and focus on industry
priorities.
• $8 million to create an endowment to support dedicated
research orchards in Prosser and
Wenatchee and enhance development and evaluation of cutting
edge technologies and practices.
Source: Washington State
University news release

Source: United Fresh Produce
Association

consumer uptake of the superfruit.
Recent crop estimates from
2012 show that North American
production – including British
Columbia – was up five per cent
over 2011 and an eyebrow-raising 32 per cent since 2008.

California and Washington are
the expansion leaders with
British Columbia and Oregon
increasing more modestly.
Michigan maintains its lead as
the state with the most production.
In South America meanwhile,
Chile has expanded rapidly, shipping an anticipated 79,400 tons
to the U.S. during the 2012/13
season. That’s up 12 per cent

from the previous year.
The South American season
starts in September and ends in
late April, guaranteeing a steady
flow of fresh fruit.
Source: FreshPlaza.com

MARCH 2013 –– PAGE 5
THE GROWER

EXPANSION

Greenhouse acreage numbers are stacking up to banner year
Will prices keep up?
KAREN DAVIDSON
If the news release from
Mastronardi Produce Ltd is any
indicator, greenhouse acreage will
continue its upward march in
2013. The Kingsville, Ontario

high demand and with this
acreage, we will fulfill the needs
of our key partners throughout
North America,” said Paul
Mastronardi, president. “The new
addition also includes automation
to improve packing and distribution efficiencies.”

Source: Ontario Greenhouse
Vegetable Growers
company is expanding its distribution center, doubling the size of
its headquarters and adding 100
greenhouse acres in Ontario
alone.
“Our gourmet greenhouse
tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers and
specialty items continue to be in

Quebec and British Columbia
growers are also expanding.
• Les Serres Lefort, a Quebecbased agri-business, will be selling red, orange and yellow sweet
peppers for the first time as of
March 15. The business has
almost six acres under cultivation.

• BC Hot House Foods is starting
its 40th year in business with a 13
per cent increase, mostly in sweet
bell peppers and long English
cucumbers. Grower partners
include Darvonda Nurseries
which adds 10 acres as does
Creekside Hot House with 10
acres of tomatoes in South
Surrey. Bakerview Greenhouse
adds 11 acres of peppers in
Abbotsford.
The quest for market share in
the lucrative U.S. market is borne
out by the 2012 statistics just
released by the Ontario
Greenhouse Vegetable Growers.
In total, 2,272 acres are under
hydroponic cultivation by 224
growers across the province.
That’s up 205 acres from the previous year. The largest enterprise
is almost 126 acres in size.
Tomatoes lead the pack with
38 per cent of the production volume followed by peppers at 33
per cent and cucumbers at 29 per
cent. While Statistics Canada’s
last numbers pegged the farmgate
value at $698 million in 2011,
those numbers are bumping
against $800 million now.
Those numbers don’t tell the
story on profit margins. Tomato
producers, in particular, took a

cut of 20 per cent on
prices last year due to
Mexican competition.
However, a favourable
wind is blowing from
the south with the
news that the U.S.
government and
Mexico have averted a
trade war on fresh
tomato imports.
A bilateral tomato trade pact
signed in 1996 was severely tested by low-priced tomatoes flooding the Florida market where
growers were threatening an antidumping case. The new draft
agreement raises the minimum
“reference” price from $0.21 per
pound to $0.31 per pound for
open field tomatoes from Mexico
entering the U.S. That price is
even higher at $0.41 for ‘controlled environment’ tomatoes,
$0.45 for specialty, loose tomatoes and $0.59 for packed,
according to a factsheet from the
International Trade
Administration of the Department
of Commerce. The new pricing
regime takes effect on March 4.
For Mexican growers worried
about their $1.9 billion market in
the U.S., they have assured
access. For Canadian growers

worried about a race to the bottom on prices, they have bankable
news that a higher floor has been
set on tomato prices.

Competitors
For the first time in 10 years,
Dutch greenhouse acreage has
decreased by 2.4 per cent to
4,870 hectares. According to
Statistics Netherlands, the area
in 2010 and 2011 was 4,990
hectares.
Pepper production has
dropped by 50 hectares, due to
declining red pepper demand.
The tomato acreage is slightly
lower than last year. The number of vine tomatoes and cherry
tomatoes increased in 2012.

PAGE 6 –– MARCH 2013
THE GROWER

CANADIAN APPLE BENCHMARKING STUDY

Findings: ‘Focus on the domestic market ahead of exports’
A good rating is not good enough for the Canadian apple industry. Findings from a Canadian benchmarking study reveal that retailers perceive the Canadian industry as less
innovative in varieties grown, packing methods and marketing approaches. To achieve an excellent rating, the apple industry must focus on their key competitor: Washington State.
While this 89-page report delves extensively into the apple industry, there are lessons for all commodities. Retailers talk about produce as the last bastion of bulk, with trends well
underway for more packaged formats due to food safety concerns.
Editor’s note: This executive summary is reprinted with permission of the Value Chain Management Centre, George Morris Centre, Guelph, Ontario. The national apple
benchmarking study was prepared by Martin Gooch, Kate Stiefelmeyer, Nicole Marenick and Greg Borovilos. Results were presented at the Ontario Apple Growers’ annual general
meeting in January.

VOICE OF CUSTOMER MATRIX

Apple industry market share
By volume, Canada’s share of
the domestic market declined
sharply at the beginning of the
last decade and again in the last
few years to reach approximately
65 per cent. Since 2000, the U.S.
has nearly doubled their share of
the Canadian market to just over
28 per cent in 2011. Chile has
also grown its market share, at the
expense of South Africa and New
Zealand. Canada does not compete directly with Chile due to the
time of year Chilean imports
come into Canada, but the industry does compete directly with the
U.S., and more specifically
Washington State. Canada’s apple
export markets have declined significantly over the last decade and
represent <1 per cent of the U.S.
and U.K. market share.
While there are distinct

differences in the performance of
the Canadian industry versus
competing suppliers in relation to
specific capabilities or services,
the overall performance of the
Canadian industry is deemed as
being reasonably close to that of
South Africa and ahead of every
other competitor with the exception of the U.S. West
(Washington). It is primarily this
difference in the comparative
performance of Washington’s
versus Canada’s apple industry
(and the determining factors that
result in these differences) that is
impacting the international competitiveness of the Canadian apple
industry.
Voice of Customer matrix
graph
As shown in the Matrix above,
the business factors in which the

Canadian industry falls short are
those in which some of the future
trends are most critical, for example, innovativeness and varieties.
Respondents agreed that varietal
development and production techniques are the key areas of innovation on which the future of a
nations’ apple industry depends.
Canada is improving in this area
but still lags behind New Zealand
and Washington, because the
Canadian apple industry relies too
heavily on government to take the
lead on breeding, production and
marketing related initiatives. This
difference in the extent to which
commercial businesses strategically involve themselves in the
innovation process reflects the
cultural differences found to exist
between the apple industries of
Canada, New Zealand,
Washington and South Africa.
In terms of strictly varieties,
Honeycrisp is perceived to have
broken Canada out of its mold of
producing commodities. New
Zealand is consistently ahead of
others in variety development and
experimentation, whereas
Washington is more proactive in
varietal research because its sheer
volume allows it room to
accomplish that. If the Canadian
industry is to move towards the

production of more club varieties,
as recommended by many respondents, the category management
skills of Canadian suppliers will
become more important to retailers. This is clearly an area of
expertise in which Canada lags
behind Washington.
Varieties demanded will be
based on what consumers want in
terms of size, colour and taste.
One of Canada’s strengths is its
flavour profile, but the industry
lacks consistency in delivering
the size and colour that consumers and retailers are seeking.
Respondents were very open
as to their opinions on why
Canada differs from its competitors based on the business factors

described above. Most responses
can be captured in six primary
categories:
1. Impact of economies of scale
on management capabilities
2. More vertical integration and
collaboration elsewhere
3. Canada lags in investment /
innovation
4. No organization looks at the
entire industry, or is responsible
for the entire industry
5. The extent to which the business culture does not reflect an
ardent commercial mindset
6. Canada’s apple industry lacks a
compelling value proposition
CONTINUED ON NEXT PAGE

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Findings: ‘Focus on the domestic market ahead of exports’
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 6
All of the differences above fit
into one larger issue: the
Canadian industry needs to focus
more ardently on the commercial
aspects of business.
The majority of respondents
believe that the Canadian apple
industry suffers from retaining a
producer-oriented philosophy.
The industry clearly has strengths,
though these strengths are not
being used to their full advantage.
Factors such as climate and land
values impact its options and
costs of production, though focusing on subjective social issues has
lessened the industry’s competitiveness. An example of why this
limits the competiveness of
Canada’s apple industry is contained in a comment made by a
Canadian retailer.
Canadian suppliers are “less
innovative in terms of varieties
grown, packing methods and marketing approaches than
Washington, NZ and Chile.” This
is common in numerous statements made about the primary
differences between many
Canadian apple operations versus
the larger, vertically integrated
operations against which they
compete, and how it impacts the
industry’s ability to adapt to
emerging trends. In short, many
of the challenges faced by the
Canadian apple industry are selfimposed. Leaders clearly exist
within the industry. However, the
inertia that emanates from an
industry whose culture reflects a
less commercial and more producer-centric mindset than its primary competitors was stated by
many respondents as being the
key determinant that is preventing
industry from fully utilizing the
strengths and capabilities that it
possesses.

to maximize the opportunities that
are arising from the ’buy local’
phenomenon:
• “Local food and farming is good
for the Ontario industry, as long
as it’s retailer/consumer and not
farmer driven.”
(Packer/Wholesaler, Canada)
• “It’s sad. They say they are
business men. They aren’t. They
[farmers] don’t get it. Buy local is
great, but if you keep doing the
same things…they used to
demand top dollar with no quality. Now Ontario has the quality,
but the demands [of consumers]
are even more. Retailers will
eventually say enough.” (Industry
Expert, Canada)
• “We source from Canada
because we like to, not because

we need to.” (Packer/Wholesaler,
Canada)
• “Buying from Canada is an

awful lot more work for retailers
than importing.”
(Packer/Wholesaler, Canada)

Photo by Glenn Lowson

Recommendations
Based on the research findings,
the report presents five recommendations to industry and government, for how to increase the
long-term competitiveness and
profitability of the Canadian
apple industry:
1. Focus on the domestic market
ahead of exports
2. Establish a national market and
industry development body
3. Invest in production and packing efficiencies/effectiveness
4. Ensure the adequate collection
and sharing of market information
5. Learn from other jurisdictions
What retailers really think of
buying locally
While most retailers and
wholesalers suggest that the ‘buy
local’ trend will continue, several
Canadian respondents commented
on the attitudinal issues along the
value chain that are limiting the
Canadian apple industry’s ability

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Social media powers this integrated apple campaign
KAREN DAVIDSON
It may seem counterintuitive to
declare “Apple Month” for
February, but that’s exactly what
BC Tree Fruits have been doing
to clear out inventory. This year’s
“Good to Go” promotion
embraces old-fashioned media
buys and retailer partnerships
along with new-age Facebook and
Twitter postings.
“For us, Apple Month is an
opportunity to continue building
awareness of the B.C. brand as
well as deliver the message that
fresh fruit is still available in
February, a few months after fall
harvest,” says Chris Pollock, BC
Tree Fruits. The 580 cooperative
members are firmly behind this
ambitious marketing plan
knowing that last year’s first
efforts significantly improved
sales. They moved an extra 5,000
cartons over a comparative fourweek period with a 10 per cent
increase in price per carton.
Last year’s “Artful Apple”
competition urged consumers to
decorate an apple and share their
photo through Twitter and to post
photos on the Facebook page. The

prize for the best photo was a
weekend for two in the Okanagan
Valley. An impressive 451 entries
proved that consumers would bite
for the offer.
That first foray into a social
media world has encouraged BC
Tree Fruits to try a similar directto-consumer campaign this year.
Strategy started months ago
around the message of apples as a
healthy, portable snack. The
“Good to Go” theme encourages
apple fans to tell where and how
they enjoy B.C. apples and to
share a photo showcasing
wherever hunger strikes. Should a
hockey arena be featured, no one
will be surprised.
Whoever is voted the winner
on the applemonth.com website
page will win $2,000 cash and
another $2,000 to their favourite
charity.
The plan engages retail
produce managers months before
execution to get point-of-sale
(POS) materials along with
display bins and kits. All the
major retailers in western Canada
are participating including:
Canada Safeway, Real Canadian
Superstore, Overwaitea Foods,
Save-On Foods, Urban Fare,

BC Tree Fruits has integrated its social media campaign on its website with entry points to Facebook,
Twitter, Good to Go contest, recipes and photos from the media tour.
PriceSmart Foods, Sobeys,
Coopers Foods, Walmart,
Federated Co-op, and Calgary
Co-op. Importantly, this includes
their social media teams.
“It’s unbelievable how important social media has become in a

marketing strategy,” says Pollock.
“These grocers literally have
teams whose sole responsibility is
social media and interacting with
consumers.”
The number of ‘likes’ on
Facebook might not mean much
to growers, but they understand
the tangible results of higher
volumes of apples sold.
Marketing manager Pollock
launched this year’s “Good to
Go” contest with breakfast TV
interviews in Calgary. Grower
and nutritionist Darcel Markgraf
made the rounds of TV shows in
all the key western cities, raising

awareness of the contest and
directing consumers to
www.applemonth.com.
Like many consumer promotions, BC Tree Fruits has included
recipes on their POS materials.
But data remains elusive on how
many consumers are actually
using those recipes. Perhaps this
is the year to use Twitter to ask
questions about classic apple
recipes and how consumers are
adapting them to the “get up and
go” lifestyle. The feedback could
give hints on future recipe
direction.

Tweets hook consumers
Hey #Calgary, we'll be at @MarketMallYYC this Saturday and Sunday
by the @Safeway entrance. Come sample some apples for
#AppleMonth!

Smart tweet. The day before official launch of the Good to Go promotion, apple grower and nutritionist Darcel Markgraf is interviewed
on Breakfast Television in Calgary. Still photos of the interview are
immediately posted to Facebook. Viewers are also sent to the
www.applemonth.com for the apple taco recipe demonstrated. The
tweet refers to retail partner Safeway which gives access to their
27,000 plus followers. The tweet gives precise directions to where
samples will be available in Calgary.

MARCH 2013 –– PAGE 9
THE GROWER

INNOVATION

Fruit Logistica showcases the industry’s best
Fruit Logistica, a global showcase of horticulture’s best,
attracted more than 58,000 visitors to Berlin, Germany.
The event is held annually in early February. Once again,
the Netherlands proved its leadership in horticultural innovation with the City Farming system from the Staay Food
Group. Out of 10 nominations, it was voted by attendees
of Fruit Logistica as the most innovative.
It consists of a custom greenhouse with specialized
LED lighting that allows seeds to be cultivated into young
plants within 35 days, independent of their natural season.

Optimum growing conditions make pesticides unnecessary. Temperature, irrigation and fertilizers are controlled
automatically. The system is touted as a sustainable, environmentally-friendly method of producing healthy food for
a rapidly growing global population.
Trade visitors voted Apfel-Schiffchen into second
place. These ship-shaped apple slices were developed by
Elbe-Obst Vertriebs GmbH, Germany. A new drying technique guarantees crispness and prevents browning. Third
place went to Tozer Seeds Ltd, of the U.K. for Flower

Sprout, a cross between Brussels sprouts and kale with
green and purple leaves.
The Fruit Logistica Innovation Award 2013 showcased
10 nominees in total at last month’s February 6 – 8 show
in Berlin, Germany. The jury comprises experts from production, quality management, wholesale distribution and
retail, as well as from the packaging and service sectors.
More than 55,000 visitors from 130 countries had the
opportunity to vote in a special exhibition area.

• Staay Food Group, Netherlands: “City-Farming” – A
greenhouse concept for urban or arid locations using LED
lighting to grow produce in 35 days under safe, controlled
conditions.

• Elbe-Obst Vertriebs GmbH, Germany:
“Apfel-Schiffchen” – Cut and dried apple slices produced
using a special new technique to maintain crispness and
avoid browning.

In other highlights of Fruit Logistica, packaging experts
Sirane launched Dri-fresh Resolve ‘Safe-hold’ fruit cushioning pads. These ‘absorbent bubble pads’ combine the
cushioning and protective properties of bubble films with
effective absorbency, high permeability and excellent presentation.
“Fully compostable and available in various colours and
sizes, Dri-fresh Resolve ‘Safe-hold’ is the perfect product
for soft fruit protection,” said Sandra Evans, sales manager
for fresh produce. “Like all Dri-fresh Resolve pads, Safehold is available with integrated ethylene absorbing and
anti-fungal properties for extending shelf-life in all applications.
These films have now been available commercially for
the last 12 months and they have been proven to extend
shelf life for all fruit and vegetables beyond that achieved
with any other packaging technology.”
Sirane Limited believes that the technology adds significant value to soft fruit products.

Soilmate: innovative campaign
Dutch company Eosta is partnering with the UN’s Food
and Agriculture Organization to promote saving soils. In
their Soilmate campaign, organic tomatoes are sold together with compost and basil seeds. This allows consumers to
experience for themselves the power of fertile soil.
Anyone who starts to grow plants in a creative way can
become a “soilder” in spreading the message and become
eligible for a trip to Egypt.
Trends in discounters
Germany sources 24 per cent of its fruit and 20 per cent
of its vegetables from Spain. The main imports are tomatoes (200,000 tonnes), oranges (180,000) and clementines
(178,000), closely trailed by sweet peppers (164,000) and
strawberries (150,000). In Germany, approximately one
half of the fresh produce is sold in discount chains which

PAGE 10 –– MARCH 2013
THE GROWER

CANADIAN HORTICULTURAL COUNCIL AGM MARCH 12-15

Snakes don’t shrug

MURRAY PORTEOUS
We read in the Bible, from the
book of Genesis, that the snake
tempted Eve in the Garden of
Eden and that she, in turn, convinced Adam to eat the fruit from
the Tree of Knowledge of Good
and Evil. We also know that once
they ate of the fruit, they came to
know that they were naked and
had done wrong and tried to hide
themselves from God in shame.
I believe in the instant that Eve
knew she had done something
horribly wrong, she turned to the
snake and the snake shrugged as
if to say, “Who knew?”
Furthermore, we know that the
snake had not always crawled
upon the ground, but that God
cursed the snake for his actions in
the Garden and made him to
crawl upon his belly and eat dust.
God also created enmity between

the woman and the snake to last
forever. I personally believe that
at the same time, the snake lost
his ability to raise his eyebrows,
turn his lips and shrug as if to
feign ignorance of the consequences of his actions.
Politicians and the media have
evolved to lack the ability to
shrug. It is not because they have
been instantly cursed by God like
the snake in the Garden of Eden,
but more likely because we have
beat it out of them like the character called “The Fat Broad” in
the comic strip, “The Wizard of
Id.”
As a society, we have no tolerance for incompetence in our
elected officials. We supposedly
elect them with the expectation
and trust that they are infallible,
all-knowing, God-like people who
would never make a mistake or
even make a decision based on
false or misleading information.

Similarly, the media can never be
seen to be providing false information because it would tarnish
their brand, cause us to reject
what they are feeding us and
reduce the likelihood that we
would pay money for their products. If either showed weakness
or fallibility by shrugging when
called to account for their mistakes, this reaction would result in
severe consequences for them.
This is why politicians and the
media don’t shrug.
The fact is that politicians do
make decisions based on the
information they have at hand and
these can result in unintended
consequences. In the absence of
correct information, the media
will print information that is
incorrect or misleading. When
presented to an audience that
knows better, the politician or
media person is forced to dodge,
duck or spin – anything is acceptable but shrugging.
More than ever before, it is
important to tell our fruit and
vegetable story to the people who
make decisions and sway public
opinion on issues that matter to
our livelihoods. While our numbers are getting smaller, our
impact is larger. We’re the people who grow healthy, local food.
We’re the farmers who hire
approximately 90,000 people to
work in our fields, greenhouses
and packing plants. We’re the
businesses that contribute approximately $5 billion to the Canadian
economy. Yet, there is a growing
disconnect between those who
purchase fruit and vegetables for

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their families and the families that
grow them. Despite this being the
age of knowledge and information, ignorance and deception
continues to spread at an accelerating pace. Society and technology have changed.

“

Politicians and
the media have
evolved to lack the
ability to shrug.”
The Canadian Horticultural
Council has stepped up its effort
to ensure that the right people are
getting the real truth on matters
that are important to us. This
year, we have reached out to key
decision makers in government
that we have not dealt with in the
past. As always, we have had a
significant amount of discussion
with policy makers at Agriculture
and Agri Food Canada (AAFC),
the Pest Management Regulatory
Agency (PMRA), Canadian Food
Inspection Agency (CFIA) and
Human Resources Development
Canada (HRDC) and we enjoy
strong working relationships with
key people in those areas.
In addition, we have now connected with policy makers in the
other Ministries and Departments
such as the Prime Minister’s
Office, Finance, Trade,
Immigration, Industry and
International Trade. We have
spent time with the Ministers of
Finance, HRDC, AAFC,

Immigration, Foreign Affairs,
Treasury and Labour in the hope
of creating relationships with
those who make decisions that
affect us. We have partnered
with other commodities in agriculture across the horticulture cereal - meat spectrum and the
respective retailers, packers,
wholesalers, distributors, bankers,
input suppliers, processors, growers and provincial and foreign
governments to rally together on
issues of common concern.
We have reached out and made
connections with national media
outlets as well as distributing
information at regional media
sources through articles in The
Grower, urban press, rural press,
and through increased distribution
of CHC’s publications called
“Member Notes,” “Fresh
Thinking” and “Hort Shorts.” We
have spoken at conferences, participated in consultations and
engaged heavily in industry/government working groups such as
the Horticultural Value Chain
Roundtable and on issues ranging
from Plant Health to Financial
Risk Mitigation. We have conducted interviews in both print
and radio media, within Canada,
and presented on behalf of our
sector internationally. The goal
has been to help educate the key
people on what our issues are so
that policy makers can make the
right decisions for our industry
the first time they have the
opportunity to do so.
CONTINUED ON NEXT PAGE

MARCH 2013 –– PAGE 11
THE GROWER

CANADIAN HORTICULTURAL COUNCIL AGM MARCH 12-15

Snakes don’t shrug
The “What’s Your Story”
piece that was initiated by CHC
in The Grower this year gives the
opportunity to strategically
address issues in a story format to
be used as a lobbying piece and
to target issues that are relevant to
strategically-important ridings.
Politicians remember stories
because they are visual and if the
story is centered on an issue in
their riding, they are even more
likely to be sensitive to the issue.
You may not be a Biblical
scholar, or a cartoon reader, but
when I mention the Garden of
Eden or the Wizard of Id, chances
are, the illustration comes alive
for you even though you may not
have heard that scripture or read
that cartoon for many years.
Stories stick and the fruit and
vegetable sector has a great story
to tell.
The signing of the
Harper/Obama “Border Deal” on
Dec. 7, 2011 provided an
unprecedented opportunity to
move forward on issues that are
important to our industry. For the
first time, the leaders of the two
countries committed to moving
forward on pesticide harmonization, ensuring sellers were financially protected when selling
fresh produce, and developing

common policies on plant health
and food safety to reduce red tape
and facilitate trade.
Unfortunately, CHC did not
have the resources budgeted to
provide the input necessary to
move those issues forward. To
help address this need, the membership adopted the Strategic Plan
I presented at the 2012 AGM.
The plan included steps to help
overcome this shortfall and to
direct the organization to the year
2022 and to focus our efforts on
achieving a stronger horticultural
industry for future generations.
As a result, I would like to
acknowledge the assistance of
financial support that has been
received from Peak of the Market,
the PEI Potato Board and
FARMS as well as the assistance
with an advance on membership
fees provided by OFVGA that
was critical to our cash flow. The
strategy also emphasized partnering financially with those companies who benefit from our sector’s health and the financial contributions from Syngenta, Farm
Credit, ITK, and AgroFresh are
greatly appreciated.
CHC’s Annual General
Meeting this March will be unlike
any other that we have seen in
many years. After several years

Canada’s Produce Place
website launched

The Horticulture Value Chain
Roundtable has launched a pilot
website: www.canadasproduceplace.ca. To determine feasibility, it’s restricted in scope to
Ontario and Quebec with a focus
on carrots, celery, lettuce and
onions. If successful, it will be
expanded to other horticultural
crops and regions.
It lists growers with contact
numbers and emails as well as
descriptions of produce for sale.
Project partners include: grower organizations Holland Marsh
Growers’ Association and
Association des jardiniers
maraîchers du Québec (Québec

Produce Growers Association),
Ontario Produce Marketing
Association, Québec Produce
Marketing Association, the
Canadian Produce Marketing
Association, the Canadian
Horticultural Council, retailers,
wholesalers and foodservice companies.
Produce industry stakeholders
are encouraged to navigate
through the website and report on
how user-friendly it is and
whether the type of information
and format fulfills needs. To give
feedback, contact Ian MacKenzie
at ian@theopma.ca or 416-2597827, ext. 231.

of stretching inadequate resources
to try to meet the needs of our
members, we are at a critical
decision point on financing. We
will attempt to present the
options, benefits and risks in as
clear a manner as possible so that
each delegate will have the tools
he or she needs to make an
informed decision as well as the
risks and benefits associated with
our activities.
Personally, I think we have to
make some tough decisions.
Labour is emerging as a critical
issue for all of us this year as the
government begins to implement
changes to immigration policy
and to the administration of the
Employment Insurance (EI) program. Members have expressed
concern about the ability to
secure the local help we depend
upon to harvest and pack our
crops for several months of the
year under the revised EI rules.
The installation of the Integrity
Commissioner at HRDC to deal
with temporary worker concerns
is a welcomed feature, but there
needs to be diligence on our part
to maintain good communication
and ensure fairness. Increasingly,
the threat posed by negative

media and lawsuits from the
United Food and Commercial
Workers union against the
Seasonal Agricultural Workers
Program highlight the need to
make sure policy makers have a
good understanding of our needs.
Our voice must be heard.
I am told by government officials that we are very close to
seeing the establishment of the
first agency in our sector to collect research and promotion fees
on imported and domestic product. This could be a huge boost to
those commodities that are able to
access this type of funding if we
can work collectively to make
this happen.
After 29 years of lobbying successive governments for a
Canadian version of a PACA
Trust, we are very close to seeing
a tool developed that will help
ensure sellers of produce are paid
for their product. We have spent
a phenomenal amount of time this
year trying to push this issue
across the goal line.
We have also spent a lot of
effort trying to delay the repeal of
standard container regulations
until the industry can gain some
commitments to help strengthen

our markets and reduce the barriers to competitiveness. In the
meantime, we need to revise how
these regulations are enforced.
Crisis issues like this can occur at
any time and the CHC budget has
no reserve to address emerging
opportunities or threats.
As we approach the next federal election in 2014, it is imperative that all members in “swing”
horticultural ridings such as the
Quebec ridings which went to the
NDP in the last election are wellversed on our issues. Our offer to
help the party leaders has been
well received and we would be
wise to step up this effort beginning this spring.
The question is: Does the CHC
membership have the desire and
the wherewithal to address our
financial challenges so we can
deal with the extremely important
issues and capitalize on the
momentum we have created?
At this point the answer is a
shrug, but by the end of March,
no delegate to the CHC Annual
General Meeting should be able
to say they were not aware of the
consequences of our decisions.
Murray Porteous is president,
Canadian Horticultural Council.

PAGE 12 –– MARCH 2013
THE GROWER

Opportunity knocks!

RAY DUC
CHAIR, OFVGA
A unique situation is unfolding
in rural Ontario -- the Premier is

running the Ag file. Yes Premier
Kathleen Wynne is the Minister
of Agriculture and Food.
Premier Wynne wants to dispel
any myths she will represent only
Toronto. By taking an active role
as the Minister of Ag for one year
she is showing that she wishes to
be the Premier for all of Ontario.
She has also appointed MPP Jeff
Leal as the Minister of Rural
Affairs splitting the ministry so
she can focus on agriculture.
This presents a huge opportunity for Ontario horticulture. The
past Minister of Ag, Food and
Rural Affairs announced the
Local Food Act. We now have a
chance, through her office, to

supply.
Some have suggested she cannot be Premier and do the Ag file
justice. I believe that if the
OFVGA and other organizations
show flexibility to work within
her busy schedule, work cooperatively and have meetings that are
focused on results, we can have a
very productive year.
I applaud the premier for committing a portion of what will be a
very busy year to rural Ontario
and specifically agriculture.
However it is a very uncertain
time at Queens Park. I can only
hope Premier Wynne can bridge
the party differences and stabilize
the political arena so she can ful-

fill the commitment she has made
to agriculture.
I invite you, Premier Wynne,
to come visit farms in every corner of Ontario. You will find a
very modern and diversified horticultural industry filled with interesting and enthusiastic people. I
look forward to building a relationship with you that will prove
fruitful for all of Ontario.

put the price up -- they pass the
increased cost on to the
consumer.
Unfortunately, such is not the
case in the fruit and vegetable
sector. Here our farmers absorb.
They cannot pass the additional
expenses on. The retailers expect
-- no they demand -- that our
produce prices meet that of the
competition. I have never heard a
buyer say, “Hey your costs just
went up I’ll pay you more.”

2002 to 2011. Dairy and eggs by
20 per cent, meat by 12 per cent
whereas fresh fruit on average by
less than one per cent and fresh
vegetables have declined by an
average of four per cent. These
figures speak to the fact that the
farmer is unable to pass on
additional costs when the
competition does not have those
same costs. The producer
(importer) with the lowest costs
can always raise his or her price,

clearly.
Between 2008 and 2010,
Ontario’s minimum wage went up
by 28.5 per cent. It cost our fruit
and vegetable producers more
than $70 million or six per cent of
the farm sales receipts and we
have still not recovered. For every
increase of 25 cents an hour in
minimum wages, the cost to our
farmers will be $10 million. And
that is $10 million they do not
have.

No the response, as we all
know, is just the opposite and
with the exception of some
product differentiation what they
say is, “if you want me to buy
your produce then meet your
competitor’s price.”
I know there will be some who
do not understand the fruit and
vegetable farmer’s reality or think
that I am just trying to string
them along. To them, I say let’s
look at the facts.
According to Stats Canada the
price paid by consumers for food
has gone up by 29 per cent from

although they may forfeit some
market share, but the producer
with the higher costs cannot
recover them by putting his or her
price up; the marketplace will
simply not accept it.
This is the reality of Ontario’s
fruit and vegetable producer. We
market a perishable product. We
do not have the luxury of picking
or choosing when we want to
market our produce and we get
what the market will give us.
Unfortunately that price has no
relevance to our input costs. Stats
Canada figures point that out very

So back to the original debate.
Will an increase in minimum
wages fight poverty and make life
better for students and the less
fortunate or will it kill jobs?
Province-wide, there is no
clear answer. Different folks will
have different viewpoints and
different realities but for
Ontario’s fruit and vegetable
farmers it will be a giant step
backward and unfortunately will
cause thousands of job losses on
Ontario farms.
For what it is worth, it’s the
way I see it.

bring the act to life. We will also
have opportunity to highlight
issues such as hort for health, the
importance of a local food supply
and the economic viability of fruit
and vegetable growers to the
highest office in Ontario.
Ontario’s hort industry supports 30,000 on-farm jobs and
9,000 people are employed to
process local crops. This is the
highest direct employment of any
sector of primary agriculture in
Ontario. It is critical to Ontario’s
economy that this sector remains
viable to keep Ontario working
and supply Ontarians with fresh
safe food. We can not become
dependent on importing our food

The risk of raising the minimum wage

ART SMITH
CEO, OFVGA
President Obama stirred up the
wage debate when he announced
during his State of the Union
address that he wanted to increase
the federal minimum wage to $9
an hour from the current $7.25.
The debate really is about
whether raising the minimum rate
helps to alleviate poverty and
hardship or does it create more
hardship through the elimination
of jobs.
There have been many studies
done on this subject but often
with differing conclusions.
Clearly radical increases in wage
rates have a tendency to eliminate
jobs where small changes in rates
afford more opportunity for sectors to adjust.
There is also another debate as
to whether or not there even
needs to be a minimum wage rate
or should we just let supply and
demand of the market determine
what the wage level should be.
During the recently held
Ontario Liberal leadership race,
the issue of raising the minimum
wage in the province came up
again. The question is can we

afford an increase at this time -after all it has only been a few
short years since the rate was
increased to $10.25, or a whopping 28.5 per cent increase.
I can certainly understand why
any politician or anybody for that
matter making more than
$100,000 a year would think that
the current rate of $10.25 an hour
is not very much. I can understand why anyone in Toronto or
any other major city that has
higher costs of living would think
the current rate is too low. The
reality, however, is that what may
be too low in one area may be
adequate in another. Ontario is as
diverse a jurisdiction as any and
setting a minimum wage rate that
is suitable to all is an impossible
task.
Perhaps the biggest factor to
consider is that some sectors can
pass on an increase while others
cannot.
In Ontario, more than 75 per
cent of our economy is in the
service sector -- everything from
coffee shops, restaurants and
retail stores, gas stations to banks,
insurance companies, lawyers and
engineers. These folks all
compete with one another for
your business but each sector or
business type competes with a
similar cost structure and as such
they are able to pass on any
additional cost to the consumer.
As an example, when the price
of crude oil goes up do the
gasoline companies not all put up
the price of their petroleum
products? When the price of
coffee beans goes up do the
coffee shops not all put up the
price of coffee? They may absorb
for a bit but inevitably they will

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sole owner of The Grower. All editorials and opinions expressed
in The Grower are those of the newspaper’s editorial staff and/or
contributor, and do not necessarily reflect the view of the association.
All rights reserved. The contents of this publication
may not be reproduced either whole or in part without the
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The Grower is printed 12 times a year and sent to all
members of the Ontario Fruit and Vegetable Growers’
Association who have paid $30.00 (plus G.S.T.) per year for
the paper through their commodity group or container fees.
Others may subscribe as follows by writing to the office:

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one month. No refunds on subscriptions.

OWEN ROBERTS
UNIVERSITY OF
GUELPH
Food giant McDonald’s has a
major place in Canada’s fruit sector.
Even though it’s known more
for burgers and fries, McDonald’s
is the single largest buyer in
Canada of fresh apples.
As well, it purchases 66
million eggs every year from
Canadian producers, and 26
million litres of milk and cream.
But understandably, given how
the company helped pioneer the
drive-through and even fast food
itself -- it’s convenience, not necessarily freshness and Canadian
farm-like quality, that most
people associate with the brand.
McDonald’s has also been at
the heart of many attacks. The

most notable came from documentarian Morgan Spurlock and
his movie Super Size Me, back in
2004. In it, Spurlock ate nothing
but McDonald’s food three times
a day for a month. The results
were predictable.
Controversial filmmaker
Michael Moore has also taken
many shots at McDonald’s,
claiming it killed more people
than the 9-11 attacks in New
York.
And the company has long
been a target for anti-corporate
activists who’ve accused it of,
among other things, destroying
the rainforest by supporting and
importing Brazilian beef.
Such accusations and
hyperbole certainly impeded the
company’s corporate messaging
from resonating with consumers.
But that messaging was pretty
well a one-way journey – mechanisms for feedback were not
taking advantage of modern
electronic communications.
Frustrated, McDonald’s
Canadian operation decided to try
a new tact.
In the fall, it launched a huge
campaign, based on promoting its
quality and boosting its image as
a purveyor of good food.
The key to the initiative was
an interactive website, dubbed
Our Food, Your Questions. The

Ailene MacDougall
company dedicated it – and significant resources -- to addressing
queries, hearsay and myths of all
sorts about McDonald’s food.
Ailene MacDougall, the
company’s senior director of
marketing, says the campaign
acknowledges that communications is a two-way street.
“We have a good story to tell
about food,” she said at an
agricultural summit in Saskatoon
last month, “but people will start
listening to us only if we listen to
them.”
The task was not necessarily to

say something new, according to
MacDougall, but rather, “to say
what we had been saying for
years, but boldly.”
The platform for the campaign
was simple – be honest, open and
transparent. Engage in real conversations with consumers. See
what’s really on their minds, why
they think quality is lacking.
Well, that became very clear,
very fast. The questions were
blunt, challenging and loaded. For
example, is your meat real or
fake? If your food comes from . . .
natural places, why is it still so

bad for you? Do you use pink
slime? Are you feeding us beef or
brain? And my favourite, I put
fries from several vendors side by
side for a few days. They all got
moldy except for your fries. It’s
been three months. Why is that?
Answers to these questions are
found on the website either in text
or in videos. In fact, more than
18,000 questions have been fielded, and McDonald’s says they’ve
all been answered.
The campaign has also generated 1.8 million website visits.
And while those are significant
numbers, the key result comes in
gains to the corporation’s
credibility. Its research shows a
26 per cent increase in those who
believe it’s improving nutritional
content, and a 19 per cent
increase in those who think
McDonald’s quality is on the rise.
The timing for such a
campaign is perfect. In Europe, a
food scandal in which horsemeat
was swapped in place of beef has
the entire continent on edge. An
independent test by the University
of Guelph showed beef here was
100 per cent pure. Companies
need to constantly assure
consumers their standards are
beyond reproach, and engage in
effective communications.
McDonald’s is on the right
track.

U.S. FDA rolls out first rules on federal food safety law

ADRIAN HUISMAN
ONTARIO TENDER
FRUIT PRODUCERS
There was an interesting
article in The Packer newspaper
entitled “Federal Food Safety
Law Carries Price Tag” which
highlighted the expected costs
and benefits of the newly
proposed U.S. produce safety
regulations.
The cost to fruit and vegetable
growers was estimated at
between $13,000 per year for
smaller growers and more than
$30,000 annually for large farms
– those with over $500,000 in
annual sales.
The FDA estimates that the
new regulations will prevent 1.75
million foodborne illnesses
annually. They also calculated
the benefit from reduced illnesses

to be $1.04 billion while the
estimated cost of the legislation
to domestic farms at $460 million
annually. So, in their minds,
there is a net benefit of $406
million annually.
I can’t argue with their math
but it should be pointed out that
the $1.04 billion in savings to the
government and insurance
companies (and others) while the
$460 million annual cost will
almost totally have to be borne
by producers who will have no
likelihood of recovering them
from the market place.
Fortunately, Canadian farmers
are far ahead of their U.S.
counterparts as a result of
proactive introduction of the
CanadaGAP On-Farm Food
Safety Program. It’s good to note
that the CanadaGAP program just
received GFSI (Global Food
Service Initiative) equivalency
status. Hopefully this will avoid
the need for dual audits (time will
tell).
I would suggest that Canadian
produce exporters pay particular
attention to what’s happening
down south as these new rules
will definitely affect their
operations. You can rest assured
that the U.S. industry will try to
use the new rules as non-tariff
barriers.

PAGE 14 –– MARCH 2013
THE GROWER

OFVGA

Board briefs
Following are highlights from
the OFVGA board meeting held
February 7, 2013. The purpose of
this brief is to keep you up-todate on the issues that the
OFVGA is working on, as well as
projects and initiatives the organization is involved in.
New vice chair and management committee
Jason Verkaik was elected
Vice Chair of the organization.
Norm Charbonneau, Brian Gilroy
and Jan VanderHout join Verkaik
and new Board Chair Ray Duc on
the OFVGA Management
Committee.
OFVGA appoints committee
representatives
Farm & Food Care – Brian
Gilroy Agricultural Adaptation
Council – Len Troup, Brenda
Lammens Canadian
Horticultural Council - Murray
Porteous, Brian Gilroy, Adrian
Huisman
Canadian Federation of
Agriculture – Ray Duc, Mark
Wales, Ken Forth Canadian
Produce Marketing Association –
Ray Duc, Jason Verkaik, Art

Wildlife loss
Representative – Mark
Wales Canadian Horticultural
Council Science Advisory
Committee – Brian Gilroy,
Harold Schooley Vineland
Research and Innovation Centre
Stakeholders Advisory
Committee – Harold Schooley,
Art Smith
Labour
The Foreign Agricultural
Resource Management Service
(FARMS) was the recipient of the
2013 Industry Award of Merit,
which was presented at the annual
general meeting in January. The
award recognizes the organiza-

tion’s contributions to the horticulture sector with respect to the
Seasonal Agricultural Worker
Program (SAWP). FARMS was
formed in 1987 to manage the
program’s administration. This
includes looking after transportation of workers to and from
Canada, negotiating their terms
and conditions of employment
with both the Canadian and host
governments, as well as any other
issues that could affect the continued success and longevity of the
program. Approximately 20,000
workers come to Canada every
year through SAWP and many
have been working on the same
farm for 20 or 30 years.
Crop protection
Section chair Charles Stevens
reported BASF has received regulatory approval for Zampro. The
new product’s label covers it for
use with cucurbit, brassica, bulb
vegetable, fruiting vegetable and
leafy vegetable crops.
The National Minor Use
Priority Setting meetings will take
place in March in Ottawa.
Growers are encouraged to attend
the meeting as this is where
important decisions concerning
minor use priorities are made.
Additional information about participation is available from
OFVGA.
Release of the 2013 list of
products approved for import
under the Grower Requested Own
use (GROU) program is anticipated in February. Stevens reported
that although some products have
come down in price since the program was implemented, price discrepancies between products sold
in the U.S. and those sold in
Canada remain. GROU allows
farmers to apply for permits to
import crop protection materials
approved under the program into
Canada for their own use. The list
of approved products is updated
annually.
Property
Work continues with the
Ministry of Agriculture and the
Ministry of the Environment to
have horticulture included under
the Nutrient Management Act
(NMA) with respect to waste and
wash water issues. Regulations
are now being developed to
address nutrient feed water in the
greenhouse sector, which encompasses any nutrient-containing
solution that will not be used in a
greenhouse operation. A discussion paper outlining some of the
technical details related to land
application of “nutrient feed
water” under the NMA will be
available on the Environmental
Registry for public comment for
45 days www.ebr.gov.on.ca/ERSWEB-External/
The study examining wildlife
loss in the horticulture sector is
being finalized. An update was
presented at the AGM in January

by project lead Susan Fitzgerald.
The monetary loss to horticulture
farmers from wildlife predation is
estimated to be $24,753,075
annually.
Research
Seventeen research proposals
were submitted to the Growing
Forward II Science Cluster program on February 1, including
four apple, three small fruit, two
greenhouse, two vegetable and six
potato projects. These have a
combined value of about $12 million; a possible $20 million in
funding is available for the next
five years.
A study is underway looking at
potential repurposing of the
Agriculture and Agri-Food
Canada research station at Delhi,
which will be closed at the end of
March. Public consultations are
currently taking place and results
are expected this spring.
The Guelph Food Technology
Centre (GFTC), a not-for-profit
organization founded in 1994 by
the Ontario Ministry of
Agriculture to service the needs
of Ontario’s food and beverage
industry, was sold to NSF
International Canada at the end of
January. NSF will continue to
provide services previously
offered by GFTC. Assets from the
sale of GFTC will be placed into
a legacy fund to be administered
by the previous GFTC board of
directors and will be used to provide food program research funding and scholarships at the
University of Guelph as well as
local community funding.
Erie Innovation and
Commercialization
Erie Innovation Vice President
John Kelly provided the Board
with an update of the initiative’s
activities since its launch in 2009.
Erie was formed to revitalize
agriculture and agri-food in the
South Central Ontario Region and
received funding for a four-year
period from various partners,
including grower organizations,
municipal governments and the
Agricultural Adaptation Council’s
CanAdvance program. This funding comes to an end in March
2013 and efforts are underway to
secure new support to continue
Erie’s work.
Annual General Meeting and
summer tour dates
The next OFVGA annual general meeting will take place
January 13 – 15, 2014 in Niagara
Falls. The 2013 OFVGA summer
tour and barbecue will take place
August 21, and will be hosted in
the Newcastle area.
The next OFVGA board meeting will take place Thursday,
March 21, 2013 at the OFVGA
office starting at 9:00 a.m.

MARCH 2013 –– PAGE 15
THE GROWER

Farm & Food Care’s
annual meeting
KELLY DAYNARD
Farm & Food Care's annual
meeting will be held April 2-3,
2013 at the new Hanlon
Convention Centre in Guelph.
The two-day program will feature
three different sessions - all open
to members and industry supporters.

April 2, 2013 (Afternoon)
Communications and
Discussion - Establishing a
social contract with Canadians
The Farm & Food Care
Foundation is in the process of
hiring an agency to develop a
new framework for proactive dialogue with Canadians that builds

trust and confidence in food and
farming.
The goal of the five-year project will be to create a social contract between Canadians and the
people who grow, process and
market their food with consideration for the five principles of sustainable food and farming: human
health, food safety,
economics/food affordability,
environment and animal welfare.
The draft framework will be
presented at an afternoon session
on April 2 with facilitated discussion for your input on the strategy
and the approach. This session
will be free of charge for Farm &
Food Care members and supporters.
April 2, 2013 (Evening) - Social
Media Training Session
Twitter? Facebook? Pinterest?
What are they all about anyway
and how can they help us tell the
story of food and farming.
This social media workshop
will be free to Farm & Food Care
members and will be facilitated
by Andrew Campbell, former
radio journalist, dairy
farmer and advocate for
agriculture.
Campbell is passionate
about ensuring farmers
know how they can access
information like never
before, and that consumers
know what farmers are
doing for them every day.
Social media and smartphones are big parts of that
equation, and Andrew has
spoken to groups across
Canada about how they are
changing the way farms
operate.
The workshop will look
at best practices, do's and
don'ts and how easy it is to
talk about what farmers are
doing day in and day out. It
isn't hard, it just takes a few
minutes a day to help
improve the image of
YOUR business and industry.
This workshop is free to
Farm & Food Care mem-

bers and supporters, but space is
limited to the first 100 that register. Registrations are open. Send
an email to
info@farmfoodcare.org
April 3, 2013 - Farm & Food
Care Annual Meeting and
Speaker Program
Keynote: Is telling your story
enough in this crazy world of
YouTube and negative headlines?
Dr. Wes Jamison, Associate
Professor of Public Relations at
Palm Beach Atlantic University is
a dynamic and thought provoking
speaker who challenges conventional thinking about how agriculture should communicate with the
public with some innovative
ideas. Dr. Jamieson has studied
interest group activism and conflict, and has researched public
relations related to activist communications and urban-rural conflict. Dr. Jamison's expertise combines public relations, political
science, and political communication.
The meeting will also include:
• What do Canadians and farmers

really think about food, farming,
animal welfare and the environment? Ipsos Research Highlights
• Highlights of Farm & Food
Care's activities from its first year
of business.
• Presentation of the Farm &
Food Care Champion award
• Elections by the membership for
the 2013-2014 Board of
Directors.
A more complete agenda for
all three events will be available
on the Farm & Food Care website. Registrations for the AGM
are accessible there.
Hotel room reservations
A block of rooms has been
booked for April 2 for those
wishing to attend both April 2
and April 3 meetings. Call the
Hampton Inn & Suites, 725
Imperial Road North, Guelph at
519-821-2144 and request a room
under the "Farm & Food Care
block" if you'd like to reserve
one. The cost is $125 which
includes breakfast.
Kelly Daynard is communications manager, Farm & Food
Care Ontario.

Farmers adopting social media
Ontario’s first survey of social media and smartphone use reveals an engaged group of farmers. OMAFRA
and University of Guelph teamed with Ipsos to tap into use patterns. Here’s what they found from 439
responders:
• 95% of respondents are online daily
• 62% expect their internet use for agriculture-related purposes will increase; 37% expect it to stay about
the same
• 79% listed paper-based farm publications as a main source for new agricultural information; an equal
number listed the internet
• 69% of respondents have a smartphone
• 65% of those with smartphones have a BlackBerry product, 23% have an Apple product, 8% are using
Android
• 74% of smartphone users have downloaded at least one agricultural application
• 84% of respondents used social media in the past 12 months
• Twitter and YouTube are the most popular social media tools for agriculture-related purposes
• 68% of respondents used social media for sharing/capturing agriculture information
• 89% of respondents agreed that government should use social networking tools as part of their
communication strategy
This project was funded by Agri-Food and Rural Link through the OMAFRA-University of Guelph
partnership.

PAGE 16 –– MARCH 2013
THE GROWER

RETAIL NAVIGATOR

Health and wellness sells!

PETER CHAPMAN
The consumer is changing
rapidly. Overall the population is
getting older and that brings new
opportunities for people
producing and selling food. We
all want to take that drink from
the fountain of youth and live a
longer, healthier life. Consumers
are also much more aware of the
food they choose to buy for themselves and their family. Access to
more information and the
increased focus on health issues
have provided a much more
astute consumer who is seeking
out products with better health
attributes.
Health and wellness are also a
priority for the retailers because
there is a good halo effect.
Consumers who perceive the

retailer is trying to help them by
providing healthier alternatives
develop a more entrenched
relationship with the store. On
average these consumers are more
profitable for the retailers. The
margins on the healthier items are
higher and there are fewer retailers discounting the items.
It is very obvious that
consumers are changing the way
they shop. Stand in the aisle and
watch how many people pick up a
product and turn it around to find
the nutrition facts. There might be
a requirement to make the aisles
wider for those people who spend
five minutes in the canned tomato
section looking for the product
with the lowest sodium level.
There is a significant amount
in the media related to health and
wellness. There are many examples of very successful television
shows that are devoted to health
and wellness. A product endorsement from one of these celebrities
can be the engine to propel a
product into incredible exposure
and sales. The Internet is another
source of information for the consumer. There are entire websites
devoted to food and the products
you should put in your body and
the ones you shouldn’t.
The focus on health and wellness continues to evolve. We
started counting calories and

many shoppers were preoccupied
with the calorie counts. In the
1990s the focus shifted to carbs.
In the last 10 years we have experienced more focus on reducing
sodium in the diet. Sodium has
been linked to heart disease and
obesity. Food processors have
been working to reduce the
sodium levels in products and in
many categories “reduced
sodium” products are available.
The next wave of focus for health

and wellness will be refined
sugar. There is more information
all the time about the impact of
refined sugar on the body. Food
producers will be looking for
alternatives to refined sugar.
The retailer’s commitment to
health and wellness is partially
dictated by the economy. If
consumers are feeling confident
that their jobs are secure and that
they have some discretionary
income, health and wellness will
get more exposure. When the
economy is not healthy and consumers are very concerned about
expenditures, they will gravitate
to the less expensive alternatives
that are not as healthy.
There is no doubt that items
with a health and wellness focus
are good sales opportunities.
Retailers are looking for these
items to drive sales and profit.
Often this can be a line extension,
which will deliver greater overall
sales.
Off shelf display space is more
available for items that reinforce
the retailer’s position on health
and wellness. These are great
opportunities to drive sales and
awareness.
Many of the weekly ads have
space devoted to healthy alternatives. In the past, these items
would not have met the criteria to
get into the ad. The sales would

Walmart continues its march across Canada
On January 22, Walmart issued a news
release outlining their plans for Canada in
2013. They will invest $450,000,000 into
stores and infrastructure in Canada this year.
That is on top of the $750,000,000 they
invested in 2012.
The company stated that this will translate into 37 more Super Centers in Canada.
Some of these will be new stores and others
will be conversions of existing Walmarts to
Super Center. They will be opening their
first Super Center stores in Atlantic Canada
this year. By the end of January 2014 the
company will have 388 stores across

Canada.
This expansion will position Walmart for
the launch of Target, which will start in
March and April of 2013. The two U.S.
retailers will battle for share in Canada and
the other retailers will be fighting to maintain their existing customer base.

Vortex is Introducing a new 10-pak
Strawberry quart designed to fit the
IFCO 08N RPC for the 2013 season.

not have been high enough. As
retailers work to improve their
image in this area, they have
created theme ads to support
healthier options. Similar to
incremental merchandising, these
are terrific opportunities to drive
sales and increase awareness.
It is very important to take
advantage of these trends as they
materialize. Retailers are famous
for taking great items and
destroying them. When the
consumer responds to an item, the
utility of the item changes for the
retailer. The product shifts from
something that increased sales
and profits to an item that will
drive traffic. This is our opportunity to discount retail prices and
reduce profits to get traffic in the
store. If the consumer continues
to shift purchasing patterns, the
items that will drive people in to
the stores will be healthy
alternatives.
Peter Chapman, a retail food
consultant and professional
speaker, is principal of GPS
Business Solutions, based in
Halifax, Nova Scotia. Peter works
with producers and processors to
help them navigate through the
retail environment with the ultimate goal of getting more items
into the shopping cart. pchapman@gpsbusiness.ca.

MARCH 2013 –– PAGE 17
THE GROWER

CONSUMER RESEARCH

It’s a land of opportunity to improve
Canadian vegetable consumption
KAREN DAVIDSON
What do carrots have over
parsnips? It’s an intriguing question when metropolitan consumers rate carrots in their top
five vegetables and parsnips come
in at the bottom of the pile at
number 27. Would a recipe for
parsnip crisps make them more
palatable?
That was the purpose of the
Taste and Discover Research
Study. Funded by the Canadian
Agricultural Adaptation Council,
the study was designed to take the
pulse of consumers’ current vegetable and fruit knowledge and to
investigate what tactics might
increase consumption. Data was
collected from more than 5000
surveys at last November’s Royal
Agricultural Winter Fair at the
Journey to your Good Health
Pavilion. Thanks to extra partner
funding from the Ontario Fruit
and Vegetable Growers’
Association, and others, the
results offer a rich vein of data on
27 vegetables and 14 fruits commonly grown in Canada.
“Broccoli is no longer the
poster-child for vegetables we
love to hate,” says Dan Dubreuil,
Cadre Consumer and Market
Insights. It’s now one of the top
five favourites with science
behind its health benefits. The top
five are carrots, potatoes, peppers,
broccoli and tomatoes. These
findings encourage retailers, manufacturers and grower associations to explore how to promote
more sales by individual vegetable profile.
Sunghwan Yi, a University of
Guelph consumer researcher, is
excited to see so much detail on
each vegetable. He’s curious
about why broccoli is much more
popular than cauliflower, another
cruciferous vegetable. The data
would seem to underscore opportunities for cauliflower, especially
since it could join the snack category of vegetables that can be
eaten raw with a dip. Some of the
research indicates that cucumbers,
peppers and mushrooms fare
much better in popularity when
served with dip. The data applies
equally to adults and kids.
If anything, the data show that
vegetables are not a homogenous
category. Some vegetables such
as squash and potatoes are well
suited to stews while others such
as fresh asparagus have strong
appeal in season. Some formats
are more popular than others.
Consumers are shunning canned
vegetables due to perceptions of
salt and preservatives in favour of
fresh and to some extent, frozen.
For some, frozen vegetables
aren’t as palatable due to texture
and taste.
Neither are consumers
homogenous. Changing demographics by ethnicity and age are
at play. The message to the pro-

duce industry is to delve more
deeply into this research by vegetable and position it according to
target groups.
Some of the key findings are:
• 75% of meal preparers are looking to serve more fresh vegetables
• Local sourcing is becoming a
mainstream mindset. Where vegetables are grown, how to store
and prepare them along with
recipes are important purchasing
cues
• Parents haven’t given up the
battle! Households with children
serve the same average number of
vegetable varieties (11.3 different
kinds in 7 days) as those without
children.
• Recipes should target cultural
communities. Be sensitive to the
changing ethnicities of the
Canadian population and demographics (aging boomers, single
households, younger assemblytype cooks).
• In dietitians and farmers, we
trust. Consumers find these professions the most credible sources
of information with food companies and retailers farther down the
list.
• Ready, set, app! The next
opportunity is to develop apps for
smartphones and tablets. Just 26
per cent of consumers with smartphones or tablets use food apps,
but 45 per cent express a strong
interest. No specific food app has
a monopoly on this information
channel at this time.
“It’s an exciting time to develop recipes for our richly diverse
communities,” concludes Lois
Ferguson, Registered Dietitian

and Manager of the Journey to
your Good Health Pavilion.
“Gone are the days of the onesize-fits-all recipe.”
While most of the study
focused on vegetables, some data
were gleaned on fruits. Apples,
strawberries and grapes are the

most popular with kids. There’s
work to do in promoting nectarines, apricots and honeydew
melons in this segment.
In addition to OFVGA, partner
funders included the University of
Guelph, Foodland Ontario and
General Mills Canada. The Taste

and Discover Research Study will
be posted at www.ofvga.org

PAGE 18 –– MARCH 2013
THE GROWER

RESEARCH

2012 Research Chair Report
program.
HAROLD SCHOOLEY
Some programs affecting horticulture
research have reached a milestone in 2012
or early 2013

1. Grower in-kind contributions are to be
allowed for this round (a contribution that
growers have in abundance).
2. It is a five-year program

OMAFRA-U of Guelph Agreement
Funding
The OMAFRA-U of G agreement concludes its first five-year stretch of a 10year agreement. The present agreement
expires Mar 31, 2013. It has been reviewed
and changes were made. At this writing
final dollar allocations have not been made
for the next five years of provincial ORAN
funding. Fewer dollars are expected to be
invested. At this time interim funding is in
place until the next provincial budget
comes out. The seven original ORAN
themes have been re-jigged somewhat.
• $1M has been slated for Production
Systems Plants for the next year, down
from the $1.2M.
• Emergency Management funding remains
stable.
• Food for Health and Product
Development themes are joined and dollars
will be shared.
• Some themes funding have moved to
New Directions where more emphasis can
be placed on certain aspects . . . Ag &
Rural Policy, Environmental Sustainability
(water issues) and Bioproducts (biomaterials in particular).
In the just completed round of Letters of
Intent phase for Production Systems (the
main theme), 43 proposals requesting
$5.2M had to be slimmed down to 13 projects to move on to full research proposal
stage. These are likely to be pared down
another one-third in the end. More need
than dollars!
Commodity input to the ORAN process
is very much needed. To that end OFVGA

3. It remains a 75:25 govt:grower contribution split (something we feared would
change).
4. The admin fee for the administering
body also qualifies for the 75:25 split (this
had created some confusion last time
around).
5. The industry contribution can derive
from more than just growers.
6. There will be federal funding available
for regional projects.
This should be especially helpful for the
vegetable industry. Last time around they
had difficulty coming up with research
issues that were national in scope and
missed out on funding as a result.
The funding allocated for this federal
program is $20M over five years; $4M per
year – the same as the last round. The challenge here will be to use as much of our
allotment for Horticulture as possible. In
the first round we garnered less than $5M
out of a possible $16M. Nothing to be
ungrateful about, but far short of what
might have been. $20M in horticultural
research by 2018 would do much for
Canadian horticulture.
Expressions of interest have been
received from CHC’s five commodity
areas; apples, berries, greenhouse crops,
potatoes and field vegetables. Some of
these groups have plans for multiple applications. Full research proposals must be
submitted by Jan. 22, 2013.

Harold Schooley, (left) and John Kelly review cuttings of sea buckthorn.
through AAC. The federal government is
now moving towards centralized federal
delivery of all future programs. A curious
move to be sure because Canada is very
large and diverse and these regional councils have worked well responding to local
needs. AAC has provided customer service
(at least here in Ontario) that has been very
efficient, flexible, cost-effective and
accountable.
And this will be done more efficiently in
Ottawa now? Small acreage horticultural
crops look even smaller when viewed from
the federal stage. Will they be given the
same consideration they had when reviews
were done by provincial councils? I think
not.
Erie Innovation and Commercialization

A study is underway to repurpose the AAFC Delhi Research Station slated to close end of
March.
and VRIC will be conducting another
grassroots priority setting session in early
2013 as we did in 2010 in Woodstock. It’s
your chance to be heard.
Growing Forward II
This was the last year for research efforts
under Growing Forward I funding. Final
reports are due in March 2013. Growing
Forward II programs were announced on
Dec 13/12. Although late coming out,
some of the program parameters are an
improvement over those of the previous

Canadian Agricultural Adaptation
Program (CAAP)
On Apr. 11, 2012 AAFC informed the
Agricultural Adaptation Council (AAC)
that the current CAAP program will expire
in March, 2014 and that there is no role for
the regional councils in the delivery of
future, federally funded programs.
Ontario’s AAC is one of 14 representing
every province and territory. Since the
beginning of the program 16 years ago
~$140 M of federal funds have been made
available to the Ontario agri-food industry

On Mar. 31, 2013 this commercialization support organization completes a fouryear cycle. It will require funding support
to continue and this is being sought at present.
Erie Innovation was created to help
diversify agriculture and agri-food opportunities in southern Ontario. It does this by
working with individuals or groups of individuals who can then impact a large number of growers and their businesses. It
encourages collaboration, partnerships and
networks.
Erie Innovation has focused on Food and
Health, Bioeconomy and Environment projects. Developing value chains and “pull
market” opportunities is its modus operandi.
The accomplishments Erie has made
over the first four years are impressive.
1. An IQF plant is up and running freezing
and packaging a number of different crops.
This one plant has the opportunity to
impact hundreds of growers of these crops.
2. Hazelnut production and accompanying
value chain development will impact nurseries, growers, aggregators, food processors and other processors. This is a growth
area. The economic studies are positive.
There is potential for 20,000 acres of this
crop!
3. Start-up organizations like the Ontario
Lavender Association and Ontario South
Coast Wineries and Growers Association
would not have been formed without assistance from Erie Innovation. Both of these

will add to Ontario’s agri-tourism industry.
4. Erie Innovation has organized seminars
and conferences around castor, genomics,
biomass, hazelnuts and lavender, bringing
in international speakers.
5. Erie has undertaken project management
like evaluating market potential in the studies Accessing the Marketplace and
Accessing the Broader Public Sector.
6. At present Erie is coordinating a study
to repurpose the AAFC Delhi Research
Station after its closure in 2012 to see if
the assets can continue to be utilized and
not lost.
There is no other organization in
Ontario that operates quite like Erie
Innovation. The full value chain approach
it employs is distinct. Innovation and commercialization opportunities abound in
agriculture and food in Ontario. Enabling
the commercialization of innovation at the
value chain level can have an immense
impact in rural communities because of the
number of businesses that are affected.
Support for Erie Innovation and
Commercialization is being sought from
Growing Forward II. It is hoped that the
value it generates will be recognized and
supported by all.
This will be the 10th time I have given
this report. I looked back over the past 10
years to see what has changed or evolved
over those years.
Research Priorities
The process to set these has evolved in a
good way.
From Hort Crop Sub-Committees in
2003 to the ORAN Theme Advisory
Groups and industry input of today the system is in good position to respond to our
needs.
Have the priorities themselves evolved?
Pest management issues were the top
priority in 2003. They are still top of mind
for most commodity groups today. And it
stands to reason. Pest management is a
dynamic and continually changing challenge. You can never get too comfortably
ahead of it. Weeds, insects and plant diseases adapt, mutate or infiltrate the country
all the time. You cannot sit still. And if
you don’t look after the short-term problems here, there is no long term.
CONTINUED ON NEXT PAGE

MARCH 2013 –– PAGE 19
THE GROWER

RESEARCH

2012 Research Chair Report
The first research dollar available gets
spent here. And that’s not going to change.
Since 2005 there has been talk of innovation. Competing in the commodity price
rut is tough.
Innovation research and all those things
to pull you out of that price rut are the
future. And that’s right. But the growers’
second dollar will be directed there. If he
has one. And there’s the rub.

“

There are few examples
of properly functioning
value change that involve
all in the chain and profit
all in the chain.”

Research Faculty
The faculty to conduct horticultural
research is diminishing. It has been doing
so for a decade. It was first noted in the
report of 2003. In the last few years more
than 20 agricultural scientists have been
lost, mostly through attrition in order to
balance budgets. More than half of these
were horticulture researchers – two in the
last year in Simcoe.
A dozen years ago the research station
in Simcoe had a complement of six resident scientists. Today one scientist allots
half of his time there.
Science and technology is not in
decline. Public dollars are just being spent
on things other than food production.
Research Funding
The research funding picture has two
sides to it. Public funding and industry
funding.
We are transitioning away from expending public resources solely on production
agronomy (variety testing, pests, plant
nutrition) to a bigger picture. Innovation is
the key through advances in plant breeding,

consumer research, human nutrition and
health, environmental sustainability, product enhancement, labour efficiencies,
source water protection, bioproducts, value
chain development etc. The list grows. It’s
all very exciting. And it is the way
forward.
We are being encouraged to Grow
Forward in New Directions by channeling
public dollars towards innovation.
Still have need for the production stuff
though! Those pests where the first dollar
is spent still need attention first. Or you’re
not in business! The view now is that public dollars should be spent on the science
of innovation, and producers should solve
their own production problems.
Put up the dollars. If you want it done,
contribute.
What’s not changing in this whole picture is the availability of industry dollars
for R&D. Returns from the marketplace
barely keep pace with rising production
costs. Throw food safety and source water
protection into the mix and the picture is
not so bright. Everything in the research
infrastructure can be impacted by this.
My report of 2004 contained the following
words.
“Once established, a good value chain is
a self-reinforcing system capable of continuous improvement through involvement of
all participants. Properly functioning they
can capture and sustain competitive advantage and dynamic growth. A value chain
will ‘add value’ to basic commodities by
using science to help develop ‘differentiated products.’ This in turn expands markets
and enhances profitability.”
What happened with that? Little or
nothing. There are few examples of properly functioning value change that involve all
in the chain and profit all in the chain.
Our current “supply chain” system fails
to deliver that ‘second dollar’ you need to
invest in longer term research and innovation. You will continue to be asked for
your 25 per cent contribution. It is time to
focus on ways to do that.
It has been a pleasure to serve as your
Research Chair for the past year and for
the past decade.
Harold Schooley is chair of the OFVGA
research section.

PEI potato growers commit $500,000 to research over five years
The Prince Edward Island Potato Board
recently held a series of district meetings
with Island potato growers to discuss making research a greater priority for the producer-controlled organization. Meetings
held in Alberton, Summerside,
Charlottetown, and Montague in midJanuary featured strong attendance from
growers and valuable feedback on issues
affecting the PEI potato industry.
When growers were asked whether they
supported making research a greater priority for PEI Potato Board funding, the result
was overwhelmingly positive at all meetings, with an approval rate close to 100%.
When growers were subsequently asked if
they supported the Board budgeting at least
$100,000 per year for the next five years to
be earmarked for research, the vote yielded
equally high levels of support.
As a result, the PEI Potato Board will
include research coordination and funding

as a more significant part of its mandate.
Board funds will be combined with other
industry funding to leverage provincial and
federal government research funding, primarily under the upcoming Growing
Forward II program that begins in April of
this year.
Potato growers will have a hand in
determining which proposed national and
provincial research projects will receive
funding from the Board based on the merits
of the research plan and the research priorities of the Island potato industry. Prince
Edward Island will work in partnership
with other potato-producing provinces and
research partners as part of a national potato research strategy. As well, the Board is
working with industry partners, the PEI
Department of Agriculture and Forestry,
and Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada to
develop a provincial research strategy for
research to be conducted here on Prince

Edward Island. At the end of this time
period, growers will then evaluate the
return on their investment in research.
The potato industry is the single largest
economic driver of the agriculture industry

on Prince Edward Island, worth over one
billion dollars to the Prince Edward Island
economy each year. Prince Edward Island
is also the largest potato-producing
province in Canada.

PAGE 20 –– MARCH 2013
THE GROWER

A little more conversation: taking action on farm safety
CAROLYN VAN DEN HEUVEL
Farmers have a reputation for being
“strong, silent types.” Growing up on a
farm and getting my hands very much dirty
alongside my father, I don’t disagree with
some of this “salt of the earth” mystique,
but I also think it’s time to move beyond
the stereotypes.
Farms nowadays can be complex, highly industrialized businesses with product to
develop and markets to access. But I know
you know that already.
What you might not know is how
important communication is in this new
world of complex, production agriculture.
When working with producers on developing written health and safety plans, I
always tell them that safety policies, standard operating procedures, and other critical workplace safety documents are not
worth the paper they are written on if they
aren’t communicated effectively to
employees and contractors.
It seems sensible but it’s harder said
than done. The best bet for achieving outstanding communication is to start off on
the right foot. Stress that employees are
valued and their health and safety is a priority. Ensure they understand the importance of working safely. Ask them about
their previous work experience. Did they

receive any training? Remember to get
copies of any certifications or accreditations they may have for your records. If
they are a new hire, check their references
to ensure they have a positive safety

record.
Set a positive example. Make sure your
safety policy is communicated to new hires
and is posted openly for everyone else to
see too. As a farm owner, you set an exam-

ple for health and safety on the farm. So be
clear about your responsibilities and live
up to them.
Safety is a two way street though.
Workers will invest in a safe workplace if
they feel comfortable raising questions,
contributing to safety solutions, participating in safety inspections, and openly discussing safety concerns, incidents and near
misses. If you make pre-operational checks
on tools, machines, and equipment nonnegotiable, and insist on providing your
workers with adequate safety education
and training, safety will become a part of
your everyday workplace culture.
In the event of a near miss, don’t forget,
reflect. Conduct an investigation and ask
your workers several questions: Who was
involved? Where did the incident happen?
When did it happen? What were the immediate causes? Why did the incident happen? And how can a similar incident be
prevented?
Everyone has a role to play in ensuring
the safety of your farm, so cultivate an
open, positive working relationship with
your employees based on communication
and trust.
For more information on communicating farm safety information or developing
your own written health and safety plan,
visit www.agsafetyweek.ca.

We’re all recovering safety offenders:
recognizing hazards on the farm
CAROLYN VAN DEN HEUVEL
In the not-to-distant past, I took pride in
getting things done around the farm quickly. Everything from jumping in the grain
bin without a second thought to performing
feats of acrobatic wizardry in order to
unclog jammed machinery (I had smaller
hands). You name it, I did it.
Looking back, it’s not so much that I
was a rebel without a cause, as much as I
just didn’t realize that I was putting myself
in harm’s way.
For producers, farming is a way of life.
When you live, work and play on your
farm, certain activities become second
nature. You don’t even think about it, and
neither does anyone else.
When I work with producers to implement written health and safety plans, one
of the biggest challenges, and rewards, is
helping farmers and farm workers re-train
their brains to recognize hazards.
A key activity involved in developing a
health and safety plan includes conducting
on-farm inspections. These reviews should
be conducted regularly by those most
familiar with the overall operation of the
farm.
Hazards are defined as anything that
may cause injuries or negatively impact
your health. Hazards can take many forms,
including stress (lifestyle); pesticides, fertilizers, and disinfectants (chemical); repetitive strain injuries (ergonomic); gases
from manure pits, dust from grain and

feed, and animal-borne illnesses (biological); and machinery, livestock and extreme
weather (physical).
When assessing the degree of risk,
inspectors should take into consideration
the likelihood or potential of the hazard to
cause harm to people or property, as well
as the impact of the harm. The more likely,
and the more significant the impact of the

hazard, the higher the risk and the more
urgent the need to address it.
When assessing risk, I tell producers to
ask themselves a series of questions. Under
what conditions is harm likely to occur?
How quickly could that unsafe condition
arise? How many workers could get hurt?
How badly would they be hurt? When it
comes to a specific operation or task, it

may be necessary to outline the degree of
hazards associated with each step of a
work process. Can a body part get caught
in or between objects? Can the worker slip,
trip or fall? Is there a danger from falling
objects? Is the lighting adequate? Is contact
possible with hot, toxic or caustic substances? Is the worker entering a confined
space? Is this individual working alone?
Take a step back and look at your entire
operation. Do you see any potential hazards? What about on your neighbour’s
farm? Now do you see any hazards there?
You eat, sleep and live your farm, but it’s
really important to look at your farm with
an outside perspective when identifying
hazards. The deeper you probe in identifying hazards on your farm, the safer your
farm will be.
For more information on identifying
hazards or developing your own written
health and safety plans, visit www.agsafetyweek.ca.
Carolyn Van Den Heuvel has spent the
last year helping farmers implement the
Canada FarmSafe Plan as a Canada
FarmSafe Advisor for the Canadian
Agricultural Safety Association (CASA).
This article was produced in support of
Canadian Agricultural Safety Week, which
is delivered by CASA, the Canadian
Federation of Agriculture (CFA), and
exclusive corporate sponsor Farm Credit
Canada (FCC), with support from the
Government of Canada through Growing
Forward, a federal, provincial, territorial
initiative.

MARCH 2013 –– PAGE 21
THE GROWER

PAGE 22 –– MARCH 2013
THE GROWER

BITS AND BITES

New totes brought to market
Macro Plastics and Calpine
Containers listened to customer
feedback and have worked
together to bring two new produce totes to market. Originally
designed with grape growers in
mind, the MacroTote 5-FV can be
used to achieve greater efficiencies when shipping any types of
produce and the MacroTote 6-FV
is designed to improve product
quality, handling, and storage
capacity.
The new MacroTote 5-FV is a
single-piece, injection-molded
collapsible tote. Its lightweight
construction and ergonomic handles allow for easier handling in
the field. Even though it weights
only 1.37 pounds, the MacroTote
5-FV has a peak depth of 6.3

inches and is strong enough to
hold 36 lbs. of produce. In addition, with a flip style latch and
hinged edges, this reusable tote
easily folds down flat to 1.34
inches in height, making it
extremely cost-effective when
used for one-way shipments. “Our
customers are very pleased with
the durability and functionality of
this lightweight tote,” states Peter
Piccioli, VP of Ag Sales for
Macro Plastics, “they have reported improved pack out and minimized freight costs with its use.”
Designed with product quality
in mind, the patented MacroTote
6-FV has rounded corners and
smooth surfaces to reduce damage during handling. “Swamp”
grips on the underside of the tote

allow workers to easily handle the
totes during harvest and move
product quickly into cold storage.
Once there, over 400 air vents in
each tote facilitate the flow of air
around the produce, extending
shelf life. “Our table grape customers have been looking forward
to the launch of the MacroTote 6FV,” said Eva Hammond,
Marketing Director for Calpine
Containers, “with a load capacity
of 28 lbs. per tote, and the ability
to stack them 3 pallets high with a
maximum stack weight of 1,193
lbs., our customers will be able to
maximize storage capacity and
production.”
Source: Macro Plastics news
release

Tillsonburg Tube acquires agricultural tunnel maker
Tillsonburg Tube announces
the acquisition of Tunnel Tech,
the Ontario-based manufacturer
of three-season, multi-bay high
tunnels. They have been shown to
be effective in extending season
production, producing higher
grades and higher yields and preventing against weather losses.

According to Keith Prince of
Tillsonburg Tube, the new acting
President of Tunnel Tech, “The
customization of each installation
to meet the needs of individual
growers reflects our commitment
to customer service and satisfaction. We also provide planning,
site measurements, installation,

venting, and management services, with our entire product line
made in North America.” Since
Tillsonburg Tube manufactures
the steel components themselves,
they are able to greatly reduce
costs to customers and are able to
ship orders with very little lead
time.

Growing Forward 2 funding begins
Three new federal programs
under Canada’s new agricultural
policy framework, Growing
Forward 2 will come into effect
on April 1.
The $698-million
AgriInnovation Program focuses
on new products and technologies. This fund began accepting
applications last December.

A

The AgriMarketing Program is
now accepting applications. It’s a
five-year, $341-million initiative
centred on assurance systems,
such as food safety and traceability, to meet consumer and market
demands. It will also support
industry in maintaining and
seizing new markets through
branding and promotional

activities.
The AgriCompetitiveness
Program has earmarked $115million to adapt to rapidly
changed and emerging global and
domestic opportunities.
For more details on all three
programs, visit
www.agr.gc.ca/GrowingForward2

Also joining the new owners
and new management team is
Kathleen Fouse. Focused on Sales
and Marketing, Kathleen brings
considerable experience having
been directly involved with
diverse aspects of the high tunnel
industry for many years. She is
committed to ensuring both great

customer service and further
developing Tunnel Tech’s
position in the ever growing
market of high tunnels.
Source: Tillsonburg Tube press
release

Specialty crops blog
launched
Marion Palbomesai, OMAFRA’s vegetable crop specialist, has
started a blog for specialty crop growers. The term specialty (or
non-traditional) crop means different things to different people, but for
the purposes of her blog, a specialty crop is a low-acreage or niche
crop that is generally new to a region. Ontario specialty crops include
(but are not limited to) global vegetables, hops, sweet potatoes,
specialty fruits (e.g. edible blue honeysuckle, goji berry, sea
buckthorn), culinary and medicinal herbs and plants for industrial uses
(e.g. biomass crops, fibre hemp).
Topics may include crop production; monitoring and management
of insects, diseases and weeds, and answers to frequently asked
questions about specialty crops in Ontario.
Follow http://onspecialtycrops.wordpress.com/

program designed to help Ontario farmers
with water taking permit needs

Direct farm marketing
profit margin calculators
Do you know what part of your business generates the most profit?
Is it the on-farm retail store, your farmers’ market, or food processing?
Carl Fletcher, OMAFRA’s strategic business planning program lead,
is publicizing several spreadsheet calculators to help identify the profitable areas of your business.
Two Excel spreadsheets geared to small and medium size businesses can help calculate costs and the true source of profitability.
Download the spreadsheet calculators at:
http://www.omafra.gov.on.ca/english/busdev/directfarmmkt/index.html

MARCH 2013 –– PAGE 23
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PAGE 24–– MARCH 2013
THE GROWER
bees. PHI: 20 days
Fungicides:
7. Flint Fungicide (trifloxystrobin) is a group 11 fungicide
registered for powdery mildew
control on strawberries. This
product is in the same fungicide
group as Pristine and Cabrio. Do
not rotate with these products.
PHI: 0 days.

New products registered for berry
crops in 2013
PAM FISHER, BERRY CROP
SPECIALIST, OMAFRA
The new 2013 Supplement to
Publication 360, Guide to Fruit
Production, will be available
shortly online or from your local
OMAFRA Resource Centre. In
the meantime, here are the new
products for berry crops that will
be included in this publication:
Insecticides
1 Actara 25 WG (thiamethoxam)
is a Group 4 insecticide registered
for black vine weevil adults on
strawberries. Do not apply until
after bloom. Highly toxic to bees.
Pre-harvest interval (PHI): 3 days
2. Admire 240 F (imidacloprid) is
a Group 4 insecticide with many
new uses on the label. It can be
used as a foliar spray on
blueberries for control of aphids,
blueberry maggot, Japanese beetle
adults, or suppression of leafhoppers, and for control of aphids
and suppression of leafhoppers on
strawberries, currants,

gooseberries, saskatoon berries,
elderberries and many of the
other crops in the bushberry crop
group 13B. Admire can also be
applied as a soil application for
control of aphids and suppression
of white grubs in strawberries.
PHI: depends on use pattern and
crop. Read the label carefully.
• Do not use both a soil application and a foliar application of
Admire, or any other group 4
insecticide, in the same year.
• Do not spray during the bud or
bloom stage or when bees are
actively foraging. Highly toxic to
bees.
3. Altacor (chlorantraniliprole) is
a Group 28 insecticide registered
on the bushberry crop group
(blueberries, currants, elderberries, saskatoon berries) for control
of cranberry fruitworm, cherry
fruitworm, obliquebanded leafroller, blueberry spanworm, and for
suppression of Japanese beetle.
PHI : 1 day
4. Matador 120 EC and Silencer
120 EC (lambda-cyhalothrin) are
Group 3 insecticides registered

for black vine weevil control in
strawberries. These products are
effective at knocking down adult
weevils after harvest, but like all
insecticides in group 3
(pyrethroids), they break down
more quickly and may be less
effective at high temperatures
(over 27C). Pyrethroids are also
very toxic to bees and to predators of cyclamen mites and twospotted spider mites. PHI: 7 days
5. Pyganic Crop Protection EC
1.4 II is a Group 3 insecticide
registered on blueberries and
raspberries for aphid and leafhopper control. Pyganic has very
short residual activity, breaks
down quickly in sunlight and is
highly toxic to bees. May be
approved for some organic production systems. Check with your
organic certifier. PHI: 12 hours
6. Warhawk 480 EC (chlorpyrifos) is Group 1B insecticide registered for cutworm control in
strawberries, so useful in the
planting year. This is a new registration of an older, organophosphate product, also highly toxic to

8. Fontelis (penthiopyrad) is a
Group 7 fungicide registered on
strawberries for the control of
botrytis grey mould. Fontelis is in
the same fungicide group as
Cantus, Lance and Pristine. Do
not rotate with these products.
PHI: 0 days
9. MustGrow Crop Biofumigant
(oriental mustard seed meal) is a
biofumigant, formulated as pellets, registered for suppression
of red stele and root lesion nematode in strawberries and suppression of phytophthora root rot and
root lesion nematode in raspberries. Apply with a calibrated
spreader, in early spring when
soil temperatures are above 10 C,
but at least 2 weeks before planting. Incorporate into the upper soil
layer to a depth of 10-15 cm, followed by irrigation to ensure the
top 10-15 cm of soil is well
moistened.
10. Phostrol fungicide (mono and
dibasic sodium, potassium and
ammonium phosphites) is a
Group 33 fungicide, registered for
suppression of phytophthora root
rot on raspberries and control of
leather rot on strawberries. PHI:
1 day on raspberries and 3 days
on strawberries.

11. Quadris Flowable Fungicide
is a Group 11 fungicide registered
for suppression of black root rot
on strawberries in the year of
planting. Apply once in-furrow at
planting or a banded drench
application immediately after
planting to up to 8 days after
planting. The pre-harvest interval
is 365+ days, so do not use this
on day-neutrals.
12. Quash Fungicide is a Group 3
fungicide registered for control of
mummyberry, anthracnose and
phomopsis control on blueberries.
Quash is in the same fungicide
group as Topas, Mission, Jade
and Funginex, but has a shorter
preharvest interval. PHI: 12 days.
13. Regalia Maxx (extract of
Reynoutria sachalinensis) is a
biofungicide registered for suppression of powdery mildew on
strawberries. There is little or no
experience with this product in
Ontario. Test on a small scale
before using more broadly.
Regalia Maxx works by stimulating plant defence mechanisms. It
works best if applied before there
is disease present. Repeat applications at 7-10 day intervals. Use
this product in rotation with conventional fungicides. PHI: 0 days
14. Tivano (citric acid + lactic
acid) is a biofungicide registered
for suppression of angular leaf
spot and powdery mildew on
strawberries. There is little or no
experience with this product in
Ontario. Test on a small scale
before using more broadly.
Multiple applications at 7-10 day
intervals are required for control.
PHI: not specified on label.

Controlling weed hosts of Spotted Wing Drosophila (SWD)
KRISTEN CALLOW, OMAFRA
WEED MANAGEMENT
PROGRAM LEAD HORTICULTURE
Last year I wrote an article
entitled “Herbicide Choices for
Controlling Weed Hosts of
Spotted Wing Drosophila” this
article can be found at:
http://www.omafra.gov.on.ca/english/crops/hort/news/hortmatt/2012/16hrt12a6.htm
Since the publication of this
article there have been a number
of questions regarding when and
where it is okay to spray these
weedy hosts: buckthorn (considered an invasive species) cherry,
chokecherry, elderberry, mulberry, raspberry, etcetera. All of the
herbicides listed can be sprayed in
woody areas or along fencerows
if the species is on the label. If
you are considering spraying near
a riparian area, please review the
herbicide label carefully to determine the buffer zone requirements
for spraying wooded areas and
vegetated areas adjacent to water
(riparian area).
From Wikipedia: A riparian
zone or riparian area is the interface between land and a river or

Buckthorn is a host for SWD and also a noxious weed in Ontario.

Some characteristics of Buckthorn are shown in this photo.

stream. Plant habitats and communities along the river margins
and banks are called riparian vegetation, characterized by
hydrophilic plants. Riparian zones
are significant in ecology, environmental management, and civil
engineering because of their role
in soil conservation, their habitat
biodiversity, and the influence
they have on fauna and aquatic

and animals often result from the
habitat alterations they cause by
killing the targeted weeds. For
example, loss of invasive riparian
plants can cause changes in water
temperature and clarity that can
potentially impact the entire
aquatic community, and the physical structure of the system
through bank erosion. Removing
a shrubby understory can make a

ecosystems, including grassland,
woodland, wetland or even nonvegetative. In some regions the
terms riparian woodland, riparian
forest, riparian buffer zone, or
riparian strip are used to characterize a riparian zone. The word
"riparian" is derived from Latin
ripa, meaning river bank.
The most dramatic effects of
herbicides on non-target plants

habitat unsuitable for certain bird
species and expose small mammals to predation.
Bottom line, read the herbicide
label carefully and follow the
buffer zone restrictions. If weed
hosts of SWD are present within
the buffer zone area you cannot
spray.

MARCH 2013 –– PAGE 25
THE GROWER

BERRY FOCUS

Spotted Wing Drosophila (SWD) control in strawberries and
raspberries: a grower ’s advice
NATHAN NOURSE, NOURSE FARMS,
MASSACHUSETTS
(adapted from a presentation to the
Ontario Berry Growers Association annual
meeting February 2013)
Spotted Wing Drosophila (SWD) is a
pest that will become more problematic as
the summer season progresses. I like to
compare them to mosquitoes -- there are
always a few in May and June, with
increasing populations as conditions
become more favourable. In 2012, the early
spring brought earlier identifications in
traps and crops. Later starts will result in
later pressure points. In 2012, above average temperatures delayed and prohibited
egg laying. SWD isn’t active when temperatures exceed 30-32 ˚C. As we become
more familiar with its habits, we will modify our harvest schedule and crop protection
applications.
Consequently, most of the June strawberry harvest shouldn’t be affected.
However, berries that aren’t harvested on a
timely basis, especially in mid to late season, will be a source of habitat for populations to increase. Evidence suggests that
strawberry skins tend to be tougher and
more difficult for the female to penetrate
and lay her eggs. One of our most successful strategies to combat SWD hinges on
frequent and timely harvest. As soon as a
field has finished being harvested, I would
recommend beginning the renovation

Spotted Wing Drosophila damage
process. As everbearing strawberries begin
to be harvested the year of planting, SWD
pressure will be moderate to high. A weekly application of crop protectants and harvesting two to three times per week is recommended.
Raspberries will only have low pressure

at the very beginning of harvest, most early
varieties won’t be affected much until the
last few harvests. Evidence suggests that
the softer skin allows female SWD to lay
her eggs as fruit turns white to pink.
Harvest schedules need to be maintained at
every other day intervals. Night time tem-

peratures will determine if pick intervals
are increased or decreased. In our fruiting
fields, we clean harvest all fields including
pick your own before crop protectant applications. When SWD pressure is high and
trap counts start doubling, we begin to
remove all cull fruit from the field. Similar
to strawberry renovation, summer raspberry canes should be removed as soon as harvest is complete. At this time we also
removed small primocanes on the edges of
the rows that were producing berries. Our
strategy allowed us to apply insecticides
that had longer preharvest intervals for
resistance management. Our goal was to
have one to two weeks off between summer and fall harvest and apply one to two
longer lasting insecticides to get SWD populations back in check.
SWD control strategies that are common to
both strawberries and raspberries :
• Maintain weekly crop protectant applications.
• Maintain frequent harvest schedules.
• Don’t allow over ripe fruit to stay on the
vine. Even picking it and leaving in the
wheel marks will reduce egg development.
Leaving berries under the plant canopy will
allow more egg development. The sun will
cook a lot of eggs in exposed fruit.
• Deliver harvested fruit to the cold storage
hourly, maintaining temperatures as close
to 0˚C as possible through the entire cold
chain.

Some new berry varieties for Ontario growers
tested as K93-20, is a new short-day strawberry cultivar introduced from AAFCKentville in 2012. ‘Laurel’ is from
‘Allstar’ x ‘Cavendish,’ a cross meant to
improve on the firmness, colour uniformity, and disease resistance of ‘Cavendish.’
Ripening in the mid-season, ‘Laurel’
produces large, aromatic, flavourful fruit
especially suited to please pick-your-own
and direct marketing customers. Trial
marketable yields are best described as
medium; the highest being 15 t/ha
(~10,700 quarts/acre) in 2011 at Kentville.
Growers in eastern Canada who have tested
‘Laurel’ on a commercial scale have
reported acceptable yields of large berries
with excellent flavour that are appreciated
by discerning customers. ‘Laurel’ has
demonstrated a high level of resistance to
red stele root rot and also some tolerance to
black root rot. ‘Laurel’ will be available for
trial in 2013 from a few suppliers and more
widely available in 2014.

PAM FISHER, OMAFRA
A few new varieties are making their
way to Ontario growers.
Developing a new variety takes time. Once
the plant breeder decides to name and
release a variety, it has to go through the
plant propagation process. It can take several years to multiply a new variety for
widespread distribution. Nevertheless,
some new varieties are available in small
quantities for trial. Here are a few that are
worth a look, when you can get your hands
on them.
‘AAC Eden’ raspberry: Andrew
Jamieson, at AAFC- Kentville, Nova
Scotia, recently named a new spineless
summer-fruiting red raspberry ‘AAC Eden’
(tested as ‘K06-2’). ’AAC Eden’ was
selected based on fruit size, firmness and
fruit flavour. It is a cross between ‘Glen
Ample’ x ‘K93-11’. ‘AAC Eden’ is an
early season variety, large fruit size,
medium- red in colour, conical in shape
with small tight druplets. Growers should
try this variety on a small scale until the
winter hardiness is determined. However, it
is expected to do well in southern Ontario.
Finally, a new summer red raspberry!
Unfortunately, this variety is not available
for trial until 2014.
‘Glen Ample’ raspberry: This summerfruiting red raspberry comes from SCRI in
Scotland and was released in 1998. It has
complex parentage which includes ‘Glen
Prosen’ and ‘Meeker.’ ‘Glen Ample’ is a
late-season variety, with very large, meaty

AAC Eden raspberry. Photo by A. Jamieson, AAFC
fruit, with large druplets. It is medium-red
in colour, with a dull fruit finish. Canes
are spineless. Winter hardiness has not
been widely tested but Adam Dale reports
it was hardy in both Kemptville and
Simcoe, Ontario in observation trials. Glen
Ample will be available in small quantities
for trial from Strawberry Tyme Farms in
2014.
‘Canby’ raspberry: This is an old variety,
developed in Oregon from a cross between
Viking and Lloyd George. It was popular
in the 1950s. Canby was re-discovered by

accident by an Ontario grower and is once
again being propagated in the Ontario plant
propagation program. Canby is very vigorous, with spineless canes, bright red large
fruit and very good flavour. It is probably
best suited to pick your own and on-farm
sales. Information from Oregon in 1953
suggests that Canby is more sensitive to
poor soil conditions than most varieties and
should not be planted on heavy or poorly
drained soil. Canby is available from
Strawberry Tyme Farms in 2013.
‘Laurel’ strawberry: ‘Laurel,’ formerly

‘AAC Lila’ strawberry: Also introduced
from AAC-Kentville, NS, in 2012, ‘AAC
Lila’ is a short-day strawberry developed
from a cross of ‘Queen Elisa’ x ‘Wendy.’
It fruits in mid-season, fruit is consistently
shaped, and conical, orange-red to medium
red in colour with medium glossiness
This variety is not available for trial until
2014.
‘Summer Gem’ strawberry: Adam Dale
will announce the release of his new summer -bearing, late season strawberry variety, Summer Gem, at the OBGA annual
meeting. This variety is available now
from Strawberry Tyme Farms.

PAGE 26 –– MARCH 2013
THE GROWER

BITS AND BITES

Converyorized scale suited to sticky
products
The PrimoLinear C-Series linear scale can weigh and fill the
most difficult of products as it is engineered to use conveyors
as opposed to traditional vibratory feed pans to transfer product.
This conveyorized scale is designed to automatically
weigh and dispense food products that are sticky, wet or very
delicate into bags, trays, boxes or bottles. It’s often used for
fresh vegetables and fruit.
The C-Series scale is designed for small to bulk weights,
ranging from five grams to 100 lbs depending on the model.
These models are available in one to four-lane configurations
based upon production requirements. Mechanical features

The revised manuals have been
reviewed and the changes approved by
Canadian Food Inspection Agency. The
documents are available as a free download
on the CanadaGAP website at:
http://www.canadagap.ca/
Documents summarizing commodityspecific differences and changes made
from previous versions of the manuals are
available at: www.canadagap.ca/manuals/
manual-downloads/
"The requirements remain largely

unchanged for 2013," said
CanadaGAP technical manager
Amber Bailey, adding that “the majority of
revisions to the manuals are editorial in
nature, to clarify or further explain existing
requirements.”
CanadaGAP’s executive director,
Heather Gale, indicated that “a few additions were needed to meet requirements of
the Global Food Safety Initiative (GFSI),
to which CanadaGAP is benchmarked.”
The hazard analyses on which the

CanadaGAP manuals are based are
commodity-specific, ensuring that any
issues or scientific developments affecting
an individual commodity will continue to
be addressed with the appropriate technical
rigour.
A corresponding update to the
CanadaGAP audit checklist will be issued
prior to the effective date.

Hort research potential in Kapuskasing
The former Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada Beef
Research Farm in Kapuskasing, Ontario is expected to
change ownership during the spring of 2013. An initiative
supported by Cochrane District and implemented by the
municipality of the Town of Kapuskasing will see the
facility soon re-open as the ”Agri-North Innovation Centre
(ANIC)/ Centre d'innovation en agriculture nordique
(CIAN)”, providing the agricultural and forestry communities with new opportunities in northern agro-forestry
research.
The new, not-for-profit corporation plans to market
research and demonstration infrastructure to industry,
academia and government clients interested in the agroforestry opportunities offered by a rapidly-changing northern environment. Situated in the heart of the OntarioQuébec great northern clay belt, ANIC is well-positioned
to support research to underpin farm and agricultural

development. The great northern clay belt is the largest
tract of undeveloped land in North America that is available at reasonable land prices for development as farms
and ANIC will play a key role in realizing this huge potential. Over the next five to 10 years a combination of relatively low land prices and a steadily warming climate is
expected to nurture new farm development, in both crops
and livestock – beef, alternative livestock, grains and
oilseeds, agro-forestry, and horticulture. This development
will present challenges that can be effectively addressed
through research and adaptive trials. ANIC will provide
infrastructure resources through which this work can be
conducted on an as needed basis at a cost lower than
clients acquiring and maintaining their own research
infrastructure.
The Centre will comprise 325+ hectares of arable land
adjacent to the town of Kapuskasing, District of Cochrane.

While certainly suited to beef research, ANIC is also an
ideal location for research on short season crops of all
types. Northern-adapted horticultural crops, including
small fruit, vegetables and ornamentals are expected to
form an important part of the mix. Future development
will include the planned installation of a controlled environment (greenhouse) facility suitable for developing and
demonstrating the cost effective culture of vegetable and
other nutritious food crops for the North.
ANIC will operate under a very flexible business model
with the opportunity to undertake a full spectrum of
research, development and pilot-scale commercial
activities. For further information please contact:
Email Dr. Glenn Coulter, Integrity Intellectual Property
Inc., at 2coulter@telus.net.

Register for the 91st CHC annual general meeting
Guest speakers for the upcoming CHC
AGM will include March 13 Opening
Luncheon guest of honour and speaker,
Her Excellency Sheila Sealy Monteith,
High Commissioner of Jamaica to Canada.
Her Excellency will speak to the decadeslong relationship between Jamaica and
Canada and the life-changing impact the
Seasonal Agricultural Worker Program has
had on the country and its people.

Dr. Hasan Hutchinson, Director General,
Office of Nutrition Policy and Promotion
(Health Canada) will address the March 14
luncheon and outline initiatives being
undertaken in the area of health promotion
that will be of particular interest to horticulture.
The CHC is hosting an Invasive Alien
Species Symposium on Tuesday, March 12
in conjunction with the AGM. Pre-registra-

tion, which is complimentary, is required.
In 2012, the CHC: AAFC-PMC Invasive
Alien Species Coordination Group was
formed in response to growing industry
concern related to the threat of invasive
species. Two Technical Working Groups;
one for Spotted-wing Drosophila (SWD),
and one for Brown Marmorated Stink Bug
(BMSB) were created to provide a structure for facilitating and coordinating pest

management research and outreach efforts
to support the development of mitigation
strategies for Canadian growers affected by
designated invasive alien species (IAS).
The symposium will provide an excellent
opportunity for presentations and the
exchange of information as related to
prevalence and management strategies for
these pests.

ness to move forward with proposed
changes in the immediate to medium term.
Other groups, such as the processing sector, noted that additional time would be
needed to adapt. To validate this feedback,
the CFIA plans to launch a formal consultation in 2013 as part of the standard regulatory amendment process. Proposed
changes, which will include a flexible
implementation time frame of up to five
years, as well as a detailed assessment of
potential impacts, will be posted on the
Canada Gazette website.
Until the regulatory process concludes,

the current regulations will remain in force.
CFIA compliance and enforcement activities will continue. In addition, Ministerial
Exemptions and Test Market
Authorizations related to container sizes
will continue to be administered.
The proposed removal of these restrictions will give consumers greater selection
and allow industry to take full advantage of
new packaging innovation, formats and
technologies. As they can do now, consumers will continue to be able to compare
prices and the CFIA will continue to
enforce specific Canadian labelling

requirements, such as bilingualism and
weight.
Canada has a strong reputation for highquality, safe food products, and for producing products that buyers want, here and
around the world. Increased consumer
demand, new product development, and
expanding international trade provide additional opportunities for the sector. The
CFIA will continue to work with industry
to help them remain competitive and innovative.

Container sizes
The Canadian Food Inspection Agency
(CFIA) is proposing to eliminate current
restrictions that limit the size of containers
for certain foods. These restrictions provide no food safety benefit. Proposed
changes would enhance consumer choice
and provide greater consistency across the
food industry as the vast majority of food
products have no container and packaging
size requirements.
Over the past several months, the CFIA
undertook discussions with industry on the
decision to remove container size restrictions. Certain sectors identified their readi-

MARCH 2013 –– PAGE 27
THE GROWER

PAGE 28 â&#x20AC;&#x201C;â&#x20AC;&#x201C; MARCH 2013
THE GROWER

MINOR USE

The science behind the next generation of fungicides

ANDREW DORNAN
Developing fungicides with
single site modes of action has
been the industry standard for the
past several years. Recently, a
trend has developed towards combining single site fungicides in
order to provide better protection
for growers. In many cases, not
only do these co-formulations
expand the disease spectrum, but
they also provide two modes of
action that can work against the
same pathogen to help fight resistance.
Historically, when encountering two or more diseases, growers
have often tank-mixed two or
more different products. Now
they can use co-formulation products that contain two modes of
action for protection against both
diseases.
While many growers and
industry experts see the benefits

of co-formulation products, there
are also inherent risks associated
with them. They require a good
understanding of the modes of
action that are contained within
the products. For example, if a
grower uses a co-formulation
product that contains a Group 7
mode of action, they should avoid
over using this Group 7 chemistry
during the spray season. Growers
should follow the Fungicide
Resistance Action Committee
(FRAC) recommendations which
are available on all product labels.
The problem of resistance isnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t
new, but more recently it has
become one of the biggest influencers when developing new
fungicides. Currently, apple
growers have to manage confirmed resistance to apple scab
from some of the most popular
single site fungicides in-market;
Group 3 and Group 11 fungicides.
When developing a new grape
and apple fungicide for Canada,

we at Bayer CropScience, considered current and future resistance
probabilities.
New tools are already available
for growers
With the 2013 growing season
approaching growers can already
access these newer technologies.
A good example of a new co-formulated fungicide is Luna
Tranquility. Launched by Bayer
CropScience this year Luna
Tranquility utilizes two modes of
action; a Group 7 (fluopyram)
and a Group 9 (pyrimethanil).
Both modes of action have
excellent activity on powdery
mildew and leaf scab in apples,
including strains that are resistant
to Group 3 and Group 11 products. There are also other new
Group 7 products that are on the
market already or coming soon.
The technology isnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t limited to
one crop, with grape growers also
benefiting from this new product
as it is the only fungicide to
control both powdery mildew and
botrytis in grapes.
Best practices for sustainable
disease protection
â&#x20AC;˘ Fungicide resistance highlights
the importance of having a comprehensive integrated pest management program. Resistance is
more likely to develop when
growers apply a fungicide after
the disease is already present in
the crop. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s important for growers to have a preventative program in place even though some
products provide post-infection
disease control properties.
â&#x20AC;˘ When tank-mixing or using coformulation fungicides itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s important that growers remember
theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re using chemistries from
two different Groups instead of

one when planning their spray
program. Most growers are
already very good at planning
spray programs with good fungicide rotation practices, but with
increasing occurrence of resistance this planning is even more
important.
â&#x20AC;˘ Where possible growers should
consider tank-mixes of fungicides
with a single mode of action or
co-formulation products with
multi-site modes of action such as
EBDC fungicides. The advantage
of the multi-site mode of action is
reduced selection pressure on
resistant disease strains.
â&#x20AC;˘ When it comes to fungicide
application, dosage also plays an
important role in ensuring the
crop receives the right amount of
protection. Growers should avoid
cutting rates as this leads to
reduced or partial disease control
and higher chance for resistance

down the road.
â&#x20AC;˘ Co-formulation fungicides are
beneficial because they require no
mixing and therefore offer a
smaller margin for error when
applying, not to mention the convenience of having to open only
one jug. With any fungicides,
growers should always read the
label and follow the directions
outlined to ensure the highest
level of protection on their crops.
We at Bayer CropScience will
continue to pay close attention to
what growers need and are committed to preserving the benefits
of any new developments. Our
next generation of fungicides is
part of our commitment to local
growers and Canadian horticulture.
Andrew Dornan is the Field
Development Representative for
Horticulture with Bayer

MARCH 2013 –– PAGE 29
THE GROWER

CHC SHORTS

U.S. Agriculture Workforce Coalition
seeks immigration solutions
Canada's US colleagues have
long looked to the Seasonal
Agricultural Worker Program
with envy as they grapple with
human resource issues. A new
coalition of farm groups has been
established to present a unified
voice for agriculture as the US
Congress considers immigration
reform in 2013.
The Agriculture Workforce
Coalition includes organizations
that represent specialty crops, and
broader agricultural groups,
including the American Farm
Bureau Federation.
The coalition is backing a
solution that includes an earned
adjustment in status for current
farm workers and a program to
ensure that producers continue to
have access to a workforce even
as harvesters move to other seasonal crops, according to a news
release. The coalition is committed both to meet the needs of seasonal employers and those farm
employers who provide yearround jobs, according to the
release.
In a news release Tom Nassif,

president and CEO of Western
Growers, noted “Agricultural
employers have come together as
never before in lock-step and
agreement about a workable proposal that will serve the needs of
farmers, workers and the
American people. The time for
immigration reform is now.”
Nancy Foster, president of the
Vienna, Va.-based U.S. Apple
Association, said in the release
that 20 billion apples must be
picked each year by hand. Apple
growers face a labor crisis and
need immigration reform to
ensure American apples are harvested each year” Tom Stenzel,
president of the Washington,
D.C.-based United Fresh Produce
Association, said in the release
that the new coalition brings the
nation’s leading agricultural organizations to deliver a unified
voice. “Having a stable and viable
workforce has never been more
critical for our nation’s fruit and
vegetable industry,” he said in the
release.
Photo by Glenn Lowson.

PAGE 30 –– MARCH 2013
THE GROWER

MINOR USE
CRAIG’S COMMENTS

The importance of the Minor Use Program

CRAIG HUNTER
OFVGA
The annual Minor Use
Priority-Setting meetings are
coming up again in late March.
These are a unique part of the
Canadian Minor Use Program
that ensures the work to be done
towards registration of Minor Use
Pesticides is indeed directed to
growers’ needs. The very
‘Grass-Roots’ nature of the
priority process sets us apart from
the IR-4 (U.S. Minor Use
Program) approach. That is not a
bad thing, nor is it a criticism of
their approach. When our system
was first put into place, it came
after much grower lobby effort to
convince government that growers were in desperate straits and
we wanted to assure them that
any work done was truly for
grower needs. There was an obvious skepticism from government
that we were just doing work at
company bidding. In fact, there
was downright cynicism that we
could even meet to set priorities
without bitter rancor and even
physical confrontation! The first
year there was even a ‘bouncer’
hired to be on hand, just in
case…!

Over the past ten years of the
meeting, it has become quite
evident that we did the ‘right
thing’ by having as much direct
grower input into the process as
possible. Having said that, the
number of actual growers has
declined somewhat as they have
come to depend upon input by
their association staff, provincial
representatives, and others in the
same commodity from elsewhere
in Canada.
The commodities that are
organized nationally have been
able to meet prior to the sessions
to fine tune their needs and then
push for them in an organized
fashion. Good on them! Other
groups have cottoned onto this
concept, and as a result, much
time has been saved in the
process. The very small
low-acreage commodities have a
serious disadvantage unless they
can convince the others present of
the true need that they may have.
Likewise the groups that wanted
to advance bio-pesticides or products that meet the needs of the
organic sector faced a serious
uphill battle until a separate
process and separate day were
created for their needs. Now their
needs are better presented, and
the possibility for action
increased.
In the beginnings of the
program, there were three days
set aside, one each for insecticides, fungicides, and herbicides.
The needs were such that this
made complete sense. Today
there are far more fungicide needs
than the others, and many more
insecticide than herbicide needs
expressed. The staffing of
positions at the Pest Management

Centre was originally aligned to
these disciplines, but today they
are much more able to work on
any project. It may be time for the
Advisory Group to consider and
discuss some re-alignment of the

“

I applaud the
decision to take a
leadership role on
these pests, as much
to minimize the work
needed toward
registrations as to
ensure the rapid
response as they
become more
pestiferous here in
Canada.”
distribution of priorities to the
areas of greatest grower need.
Another set of ‘work’ that the
Centre has undertaken is in the
area of invasive pests- namely
Spotted Winged Drosophila and
Brown Marmorated Stink Bug.
Twenty years ago this would have
been done by Research Branch
and the fore-runner of the
Canadian Food Inspection
Agency (CFIA). Today, neither is
well placed or adequately funded
to do this kind of work.
Nonetheless the grower need is
huge with such omnivorous
feeders, and the crop loss
potential so devastatingly high.
I applaud the decision to take a
leadership role on these pests, as

much to minimize the work
needed toward registrations as to
ensure the rapid response as they
become more pestiferous here in
Canada.
In a parallel area, the work of
Agriculture and Agri-Food
Canada (AAFC) research branch
toward finding new solution
chemistries to replace pesticides
lost due to re-evaluation or to pest
resistance must continue at a high
pace. I applaud the work of Pest
Management Regulatory Agency
(PMRA) which recognizes the
severe problems (potentially) that
could arise with sudden market
withdrawal of some older
products. The finding of
alternatives has provided some
‘breathing space’ desperately
needed. Unfortunately, there is
not a plethora of new candidate
products to replace controls for
root maggots, or for soil
fumigants to control plant
diseases, insects, and weeds.
Given that some of these are
quarantine pests that could affect
trade, a concerted effort is needed
to work with the tools available.
The Pest Management Centre
has lived up to its original
promise, and more. I for one,
hope that it is allowed to continue
to meet all of its original intent
without becoming less efficient as
it is asked to take on further
responsibilities. Likewise, I trust
that it gets internal recognition for
continuing to meet grower needs
and expectations. In a time of
public disillusionment about
government programs, this one
stands out as one that has full
grower support. Growers will
keep supporting it as they receive
the benefit of the outcomes of the

work. Since there are virtually no
alternatives to getting the data
needed toward registrations, I
suspect the program will continue
to function for many more years
as we deal with new pests, pest
resistance and regulatory
decisions.
Another measurement of
success is to see how others look
upon our approach. In past years
we have had representatives of
IR-4 attend to help us by
sharing of their experience. This
year I understand we will have
representatives of some other
countries attending so ‘see how
we do it.’ They are intent in
getting such a system put in place
for their growers. There is no
greater praise than the copying of
what you do by others. There is
also no better way to encourage
further international cooperation
and shared effort than to have
others wanting to work with you
on projects. I see all of this to be
common practice in just a few
more years. (Who could have
envisioned this, just ten short
years ago?)
Grower support for the
Priority-Setting meetings is one
key way to measure their interest.
I hope the needs could go down,
but every year they seem to go
up. It is always important to work
on the most important ones, and
this year will be no different. I
hope to see YOU at this year’s
meetings March 18-21st in
Gatineau, which is just across the
Ottawa River from Parliament
Hill!

New ways to think about spider mites
ability to adapt to chemicals such as miticides. At the
University of Western Ontario in London, Miodrag Grbic
and an international group of scientists have discovered
the genetic makeup of Tetranychus urticae, the two spotted spider mite (TSSM). This mite, the most common spider mite in Ontario, feeds on more than 150 plant types
worldwide. Grbic’s team has sequenced the genome of
TSSM which has enabled a better understanding of this
organism.
These researchers are using the spider mite as a model
for cell-content feeding insects (includes thrips and aphids)
in order to develop environmentally-friendly pest control
strategies. This research involves scientists at Western,
Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, the Ontario Ministry
of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs and Vineland
Research and Innovation Centre, along with interested
growers and industry partners. Ontario Apple Growers are
participating in this research.
For more information, visit www.spidermite.org

IAN SCOTT
If you look closely at vegetable leaves that appear to be
yellowing and covered with webs, there is a good chance
you will meet a spider mite. These close cousins of spiders
are common pests of many Ontario fruits and vegetables,
and do well when hot, dry weather favours their rapid population growth. Predictions are that we may see more of
these agricultural pests with an increasing number of hightemperature summer days.
For growers, this means greater time and resources to
manage this pest of tomato, cucumber, soybean, apple and
many other typical Ontario field and greenhouse crops.
Currently, there are ways to control spider mites such as
oil sprays, acaricides/miticides or biological control agents
such as predatory mites. However, continuous use of
chemicals leads to reduced control since spider mites can
develop resistance and cross-resistance between different
chemical classes.
A locally-led research team has uncovered many interesting facts related to spider mites’ feeding preferences,
physiology and the genetic-based mechanisms behind their

Spider mites

Dr. Ian Scott is an insecticide toxicologist with Agriculture
and Agri-Food Canada. This article is reprinted courtesy
of the Ontario Apple Growers’ newsletter.

MARCH 2013 –– PAGE 31
THE GROWER

MINOR USE

Fungicide label expanded to control diseases on muskmelons
and field peppers
JIM CHAPUT, OMAFRA,
MINOR USE COORDINATOR,
GUELPH
The Pest Management
Regulatory Agency (PMRA)
recently announced the approval
of URMULE registrations for
Allegro 500F fungicide for control of downy mildew, gummy
stem blight and Alternaria leaf
spot on muskmelon (incorrectly
called cantaloupe) and for suppression of Phytophthora blight
on field peppers in Canada. The
active ingredient fluazinam was
already labeled on potatoes,

Brassica vegetables, legumes,
bushberries, ginseng, carrots and
apples for several important diseases.
These minor use projects were
jointly sponsored in 2007 by
Agriculture & Agri-Food Canada,
Pest Management Centre (AAFCPMC) and U.S. IR-4 program as a
result of minor use priorities
established by growers and extension personnel. The minor use
label expansions for Allegro 500F
fungicide are a significant step
towards developing an improved
pest management toolkit for these
diseases in Canada.
The following is provided as

Crop(s)

Pest

Rate (L/ha)

No. apps / year

PHI

Muskmelon
(‘cantaloupe’)

Downy mildew,
gummy stem blight,
Alternaria leaf spot

1.75

6

30 days

Field Peppers

Phytophthora blight

1.75

6

30 days

an abbreviated, general outline
only. Users should consult the
complete label before using
Allegro 500F fungicide.
Allegro 500F fungicide should
be used in an integrated pest management program and in rotation
with other management strategies

to adequately manage resistance.
Follow all other precautions
and directions for use on the
Allegro 500F fungicide label
carefully.
For a copy of the new minor
use label contact Janice LeBoeuf,
OMAFRA, Ridgetown (519) 674-

RIMON 10EC for management of peach tree borers
Adult peach tree borer
on stone fruit
The Pest Management
Regulatory Agency (PMRA)
recently announced the approval
of a minor use label expansion for
Rimon 10EC insecticide for control of lesser and greater peach
tree borer on stone fruit, crop
group 12 in Canada. Crop group
12 includes cherries, apricots,
peaches, nectarines and plums.
Rimon 10EC (novaluron) was
already labeled for management
of several insect pests on strawberries, bushberries, apples, stone
fruit, Brassica vegetables, peppers, beans, sweet corn, celery
and potatoes in Canada.
This minor use project for
stone fruit sponsored by the
minor use office of OMAFRA
was submitted in early 2012 in
response to minor use priorities
identified by producers and extension personnel in Canada.
The addition of these pests to
the Rimon insecticide label will
provide stone fruit growers with
an important pest management
tool.
The following is provided as
an abbreviated, general outline
only. Users should consult the
complete label before using
Rimon 10EC insecticide.
Rimon insecticide can be
applied as a direct application to
the tree trunk and scaffold limbs
at 1.4 L of product per 1000 L of
water for control of lesser and
greater peach tree borers. Do not
exceed 2000 litres of water per ha
and do not apply more than three
applications per season. Apply at
three week intervals starting
seven – 10 days after 1st trap
catch. Do not apply within 14
days of harvest of stone fruit.
Rimon insecticide should be
used in an integrated pest management program and in rotation
with other management strategies.
For copies of the new supplemental label contact Wendy
McFadden-Smith, OMAFRA,
Vineland (905) 562-3833 or Jim
Chaput, OMAFRA, Guelph (519)
826-3539 or visit www.chemturaagrosolutions.com

PAGE 31 –– MARCH 2013
THE GROWER

Change the way
you look at potato
seed-piece treatments

Only one of these potato seed-pieces is protected
from the broadest spectrum of insects and diseases.
Only one is safeguarded with two new fungicides.
Only one takes fusarium protection to the max — even
against resistant strains. And only one is covered with
Titan™ Emesto™, the first and only coloured liquid seedpiece treatment. It’s easy to use and even easier to see
the difference it makes. And you’ve never seen anything
like this before.

Learn more at BayerCropScience.ca/TitanEmesto

BayerCropScience.ca or 1 888-283-6847 or contact your Bayer CropScience representative.
Always read and follow label directions. Titan™ and Emesto™ are trademarks of the Bayer Group. Bayer CropScience is a member of CropLife Canada.

H-25-01/13-TCS13008-E

MARCH 2013 –– PAGE B1
THE GROWER

ONTARIO FRUIT AND VEGETABLE CONVENTION
MARKETPLACE

MARCH 2013

CELEBRATING 133 YEARS AS CANADA’S PREMIER HORTICULTURAL PUBLICATION

SECTION B

INNOVATION AWARDS

Environment, efficiency themes emerge

Al Irwin, Best Packaging, demonstrates the packaging savings of the new 3M patented
stretch tape that ensures breathable pallets,

KAREN DAVIDSON
What is innovation? Is it for early adopters only or is it
something an entire industry can embrace?
For the first time, the Ontario Fruit and Vegetable
Convention launched a search for most innovative service
and product among exhibitors at the show, asking a jury to

Brian Sutton, Provide Agro, is currently installing Aqua Pulse Systems chlorine dioxide
water treatment in a Leamington area greenhouse. Photos by Denis Cahill.

judge what constitutes innovation.
“We wanted to give an incentive to trade show participants,” says Tony Sgambelluri, chair, OFVC committee.
“We’re always trying to keep our show new and cutting
edge. I think the two winners are demonstrating cool and
unique products and services.”
Judges were pleasantly surprised by exhibitor enthusiasm for this new award with four applicants in the service

category and nine for the product category.
The jury was chaired by Adrian Huisman and consisted
of Ryan Schuyler, Jamie Warner and Karen Davidson.
Criteria included degree of innovation, potential for cost
savings, impact on industry, environmental benefits and
any other features which were unique.

Most Innovative Product

Most Innovative Service

Best Packaging wins for its Stretch Tape System for palletizing produce. The combined
system of machine and tape will contain a pallet load equal to 80 g. stretch wrap while
offering a 95 per cent source reduction and 100 per cent ventilation. This patented 3M
tape offers 95 per cent source reduction and 100 per cent ventilation. “By stretching the
tape, the tensile strength is increased to 40 pounds per inch at 650 per cent stretch,”
explains Al Irwin and Dave Sweetland. “When application tension is released, elastic
memory contracts the tape enough to tighten the load but not crush the carton. It’s a
secure load that can breathe.”
An important feature is that the product is graphics-friendly. When stretched during
application, the tape loses adhesion properties for simple removal without delaminating
labels and printing. There’s also the benefit of reduced cost, space and waste. “To save
material cost and storage space, you use less tape than stretch film or netting to secure
the same load size,” says Irwin. “At the receiving end, there’s also less waste for disposal – a benefit to point out to your customer.”
Finally, the fresh fruit and vegetable market can benefit from the use of stretch tape
because the pallet is not completely covered. This property prevents condensation that
could weaken a corrugated box.

Provide Agro is the winner for its AquaPulse Systems for chlorine dioxide water treatment. “As the industry moves away from the use of chlorine, due to health and environmental issues, chorine dioxide is the preferred alternative,” says Brian Sutton, Provide
Agro, a newly formed company of N.M. Bartlett Inc.
Chlorine dioxide has the added benefits of reducing development of scale and biofilm
in water systems. Removal of biofilm is critical to pathogen control as well as efficient
use of water. The result, he adds, is clean emitters, with less clogging, clean pipes,
improved energy efficiency for cooling towers and ice equipment.
Provide Agro is now offering the service which includes the equipment, ongoing service and maintenance for a monthly fee based on water volumes treated. The equipment
incorporates monitoring, control and data recording of sanitizer levels in a number of
applications. The service package includes client access to the web, where an accessonly code allows real-time monitoring and ability to adjust sanitizer levels on multiple
applications. A sanitizer system is not something to install and walk away from. It needs
constant supervision to be effective and to meet requirements of HACCP and
CanadaGAP programs.
Most important, there is no capital cost for the generation equipment explains Sutton.
“Charges are based on water volume use and the customer is not locked into a long-term
contract. This fee structure can open the door to a great food safety tool, that may be
otherwise unobtainable due to limited seasonal use or high capital costs of other equipment.”
Provide Agro is currently completing several AquaPulse Systems dioxide projects in
Ontario, including a hydroponic vegetable operation and a nursery farm.

PAGE B2 –– MARCH 2013
THE GROWER

ONTARIO FRUIT AND VEGETABLE CONVENTION

Horticulture’s showcase shines
For any trade show, surpassing last
year’s statistics feels like horse-jumping.
Your heart is in your throat with every hurdle passed cleanly.
That’s the case for the 11th annual
Ontario Fruit and Vegetable Convention.
The venue at the Scotiabank Convention
Centre in Niagara Falls is attracting a
broad spectrum of exhibitors with the
capacity to showcase big equipment. Many
attendees gave thumbs-up to the complimentary parking courtesy of the Niagara
Fruit and Vegetable Growers’ Association
and TD Canada Trust.
“I think the story is that we saw growth
in both attendance and exhibitors,” says
Steve Watt, marketing coordinator. “In my
opinion, this can be attributed to the
strength, dedication and commitment of
our committee and partners to put together
the best possible convention. Year one at
the Scotiabank Convention Centre was a
learning year and we responded this year
with improvements across the board.”
Highlights include:

The Grower’s photographer recorded Mark Delanghe submitting the sweet cider entry
for Delhaven Orchards. It turned out to be the first place winner.

(Left to right) Mary Ruth McDonald, Cathy McKay, Bryan Durst and Jason Deveau
performed jury duties for the OFVC Student Poster Competition. Congratulations to
first-place winner, Dennis Van Dyk; second place to Brian Collins and third place to
Braden Evans.

Smell – and taste -- the first Great Ontario Hopped Craft Beer Competition sponsored by
Goal Zero. Entries were judged on aroma, appearance, flavour and overall impression.
The winning team was Duggan’s Brewery (brewer) and Heritage Hill Organics (hop
grower) from Dalston, Ontario.

Retracing the steps to China’s great wall of strawberries
KAREN DAVIDSON
Look up, way up at the strawberries. Three-dimensional cultivation of strawberries is the latest
in strawberry production, a system that can be winched down to
waist height for comfortable picking. That was just one of the marvels that Ontario growers Peter
and Ellen Jennen witnessed at last
year’s 7th International
Strawberry Symposium hosted in
Beijing, China.
They described their February
2012 trip as the “Olympics of
strawberries.” The convention
attracted 1600 delegates of which
700 were from abroad.
“The way the Chinese are
expanding in strawberries, there’s
no doubt that they will dominate
the processing industry,” says
Peter Jennen. “I can’t see that the
Chinese are a threat to the fresh
strawberry market in Canada.”
China’s capacity is impressive
at 280,000 acres, but more important, is productivity per acre.
Tunnel technology is high art to
the Chinese, with the aforementioned vertical farming that makes
the most of the higher-cost controlled environment. Impressive
research funds are behind the testing of new varieties that are disease-resistant and flavourful.
In one commercial venture,
Tianyi Biologicial Engineering is
managing 1800 solar greenhouses
of strawberries and supporting

experimenting with June-bearing
varieties that are currently popular in Germany, Spain and
Holland. These varieties have a
proven track record under tunnel
systems and are heavy producers
early in the season.
In a nod to the Australians, the
Jennens are pleased with the new
practice of mowing day-neutral
strawberries after the first set to
encourage a more vigorous harvest in regrowth. “We’ve tried
this on six bays under plasticulture,” says Jennen. “Only the
crowns are poking out of the plastic, but I really like what I’ve
seen and will expand the practice
more widely this coming season.”
Thanks to California
researchers who bred the strawberry varieties that the Jennens
have planted, more precise, nitrogen fertilizer rates and timing
have come to the fore.
The Jennens have grown
strawberries in tunnels for five
years now, but realize that every
small thing can add up to more
consistent and longer production.
Currently, the system extends the
spring season by 10 days and by
using frost covers within the high
tunnels, strawberries can be
picked two to three weeks later in
the fall.
The trek to China has captured
the Jennen’s interest in vertical
horticulture. There’s potential to
install a trough system in their
tunnels – essentially an oversized

400 farmers. As part of their vertically integrated set-up, the firm
has built a GAP-certified fruit
processing plant.
Besides these high-tech ventures are low-cost experiments.
Chinese researchers are testing
cold-frame greenhouses with only
solar heat. Situated beside brick
walls which trap daylight sun, the
greenhouses are warmed by the
heat released at night.
Remarkably, ripe strawberries
were being harvested in February
despite ice on ponds outside. The
temperatures were similar to
those experienced in Ontario winters.
As impressive as the Chinese
technology is to visitors, some of
the key lessons were gleaned
from other symposium participants. Through new European
connections, the Jennens are

eavestrough of cocoa fibre mats
that might allow two layers of
production. Other U.K. growers
have cautioned that when strawberries are three feet off the
ground, they might not ripen so
fast in early spring. The question
is whether to forfeit the earlier
sell date in favour of more costefficient labour in the harvest.
That’s a question to be answered
by a sharp pencil.
If there was any overarching
theme of the symposium, it was
how to grow strawberries – one
of the most perishable of fruits –
in more climate-controlled conditions. This concern is front and
center for Canadian producers.
Just this winter, the Jennens are
experiencing wide variances in
temperature from minus 20
degrees C to plus 10 degrees C in
a matter of days at their

Delegates to the 7th International Strawberry Symposium, Ellen Jennen (pictured) and her husband Peter,
travelled to Beijing China. They shared their slide show with OFVC attendees.
Thamesville, Ontario farm.
Perhaps the researchers at
Laval University will have a role
in meeting these new weather

ence in advance of their own
Olympics. The next symposium
is slated for August 14 – 17, 2016
in Quebec City.

PAGE B4 â&#x20AC;&#x201C;â&#x20AC;&#x201C; MARCH 2013
THE GROWER

ONTARIO FRUIT AND VEGETABLE CONVENTION

Community-supported agriculture flourishes
in the urban shadow
KAREN DAVIDSON
Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s hard to count the green
thumbs behind the growth of
Community Supported
Agriculture (CSA) across Canada.
Relatively new in the last five
years, the movement has become
popular with on-farm retailers
expanding their u-pick operations.
And in some cases, growers use
their stalls at farmersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; markets as
pick-up locations.
South of the border, Kate
Zurschmeide and her family are
celebrating their 20th anniversary
with CSAs, growing the business
from 50 to 1800 shares. Great
Country Farms, Bluemont
Virginia, is considered one of the
largest CSAs in the U.S. Located
about 30 minutes from
Washington, D.C., it draws on a
highly educated urban populace
thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s looking for an interactive
experience with food.
â&#x20AC;&#x153;CSAs are a cornerstone of our
farm,â&#x20AC;? Zurschmeide explained to
the audience at the recent Ontario
Fruit and Vegetable Convention.
â&#x20AC;&#x153;Weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve had to be quite
resourceful to meet the higher
expectations of our customers as
farmersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; markets proliferate in the
area. A CSA customer is a really
educated customer that wants
local food and a connection to the
farmer.â&#x20AC;?
Customization is the key to
this customer base. Zurschmeide
realizes that she has to compete
with online grocery services. So if
weather or pests affect the crop

Great Country Farms store

Kate and Mark Zurschmeide, Great Country Farms, Bluemont
Virginia.
one week, she needs to be nimble
in substituting a product.
The value proposition is to
provide fresh produce for 20
weeks from first of June to end of
October. The 2013 prices are
$438 for one share, picked up at
the farm. Thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s about a halfbushel that contains seven to
eight items per week. With the

share paid at the front-end of the
season, the family has cash flow
to plan and ensure volume and
variety. They have learned to
conduct their annual survey
during the last two weeks of the
CSA season, while produce is still
top-of-mind for their customers.
The results offer trends for what
to plant the following year. The

new offer to the CSA customer
base is made in early January.
About one-third of the CSA
customers pick up their baskets at
the farm with the remainder
picking up at a group site ($489
per share) or receiving home
delivery ($589 per share). Every
time CSA customers come to the
farm, they have the option for
U-pick â&#x20AC;&#x201C; an appealing option for
those with families.
The farm comprises tree fruits,
strawberries, blueberries and a
wide variety of vegetables. In
many ways, the CSA program
must carry all the seasonal items
that would be found in a local
grocer, except that the produce is
fresher. One of the key learnings
is that heirloom tomatoes, while

popular, donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t travel so well in a
CSA box.
The Zurschmeideâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s work
closely with companies such as
Rupp Seeds for squash and pumpkins, Johnny Seeds for lettuces,
and other organic seed companies
for varieties that excel in flavour.
They are currently looking to
expand varieties in eggplant that
will appeal to wider ethnic communities.
â&#x20AC;&#x153;Letâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s shake up the box with
these newer Asian varieties and
partner with local chefs on how to
cook with them,â&#x20AC;? advises
Zurschmeide. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We also use our
blog to talk about these new
varieties and partnerships.â&#x20AC;?
The link with local chefs is
proving an important channel to

expand the CSA business. In
convincing local restaurants to
source Great Country produce,
they also may feature the farm
name on their menus â&#x20AC;&#x201C; a way to
promote more business.
â&#x20AC;&#x153;To sustain our CSA business,
weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re reaching beyond the farmgate to new communities â&#x20AC;&#x201C; health
and fitness community, medical
community and culinary
community,â&#x20AC;? says Zurschmeide.
One of the big trends is that
consumers are more interested in
local foods and how their food is
grown. â&#x20AC;&#x153;With the spiraling cost of
health care and obesity, we see an
opportunity to teach kids through
cooking classes on the farm or
canning classes for parents. These
are skills that have been lost over
the years.â&#x20AC;?
Agritainment on the farm is an
important aspect. The farmâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s
website (www.greatcountryfarms.com) has an enticing
schedule starting with the season
home opener on March 23. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s
the Marshmallow Harvest, an
innovative twist on the Easter
Egg hunt and a sure winner when
a bonfire is offered to toast the
harvest. Sâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;more kits are offered
for a reasonable fee. Next is Art
and Asparagus for Motherâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Day,
again with ingenious asparagus
bouquets. Motherâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Day is
celebrated with a Strawberry
Jubilee followed by a Fatherâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s
Day Fish and Putt Putt. Not to be
missed is the BBQ and
Blackberry Bonanza at the end of
July.
â&#x20AC;&#x153;The sweet spot is families,â&#x20AC;?
explains Zurschmeide. â&#x20AC;&#x153;When I
see the mini-vans in the parking
lot, I know weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve attracted the
right demographic.â&#x20AC;?
Dirt or no dirt? Thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s the
question with CSA produce
boxes. Zurschmeide says they
wash potatoes, but just shake the
dirt off radishes. The best
education is that produce comes
with dirt, and yes sometimes with
blemishes.
â&#x20AC;&#x153;This is how food should be,â&#x20AC;?
says Zurschmeide, â&#x20AC;&#x153;when itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s
taken right from the soil.â&#x20AC;?

MARCH 2013 –– PAGE B5
THE GROWER

ONTARIO FRUIT AND VEGETABLE CONVENTION

Making the local food connection
For more than 35 years,
Foodland Ontario has been the
brand name for Ontario food,
scoring very high awareness
levels with consumers. Growers
can take advantage of that
branding through tools and
marketing programs of Foodland
Ontario. Program manager Denise
Zaborowski opened up her toolbox at the recent Ontario Fruit
and Vegetable Convention.
Foodland Ontario continues to
branch out into non-traditional
methods of marketing to create
awareness and engage consumers.
The Foodland Ontario website –
“Friend in Your Kitchen” –
receives on average more than
1,700 visitors each day. Finding
recipes is the number one reason
why consumers visit the website.
“We shape the way consumers
think about local food using

social media,” says Zaborowski.
The Foodland Ontario Facebook
page has more than 109,000 fans;
15,000 people follow on Twitter;
and the newest member to the
Foodland Ontario program –
Pinterest – has already more than
300 followers since its launchl
October 4, 2012. New point-ofsale materials including
commodity cards will be rolling
out this spring/summer. They will
have QR codes to direct
consumers back to delicious
Foodland Ontario recipes and will
highlight digital media assets.
Responding to consumers’
demand for recipes, Foodland
Ontario continues to develop
recipe brochures that are
distributed in stores, farmers’
markets and on-farm markets.
Last year’s spring and summer
brochures were a huge success

with more than 350,000
distributed across Ontario. For
2013, spring, summer and fall
brochures are in development.
Foodland Ontario also makes a
Foodland Ontario banner
available to farmers’ markets and
on-farm markets. This colourful
two-by-six foot banner can help
draw consumers to roadside
stands. The banner can be
ordered online from
www.foodlandontario.ca or the
order form can be downloaded
and faxed or mailed.
As one of the biggest
challenges facing consumers
today is being able to identify
local at point of purchase,
Zaborowski encourages Ontario
producers and processors to use
the Foodland Ontario logo. Nine
out of every ten shoppers recognize the logo as Ontario fresh

food. If you are not using the logo
to identify locally grown and
processed food, get started today.
Contact Foodland Ontario’s

Pruning learnings
A California researcher shares best management tips
As California is the biggest
producer of U.S. peaches –
almost three-quarters of production – it’s the go-to centre for
learning about pruning. Although
bearing acreage has declined to
about 118,000 acres, production
is up by five per cent. And that’s
reason enough to hear about
Kevin Day’s experiences at the
University of California, Davis.
“In order to optimize pruning,
we have conducted many research
projects over the past 30 years
and have come to two main
conclusions,” says Day. “First,
trees should be minimally pruned
in the first couple of years,” says
Day. “Many growers prune young
trees very hard, which only
reduces early yield. We have
found greatly increased yields,

with no detrimental effects, by
minimal pruning.”
“Second, we have extensively
evaluated the concept of reducing
tree height. This greatly cuts
down on labour costs, often
improves fruit quality and can
maintain high yields if the trees
are managed properly.”
The devil is in the details and
according to Day, proper
management means intercepting
as much light as possible by
spreading scaffolds more and/or
planting trees closer together. It
also includes careful management
of vigour through irrigation,
fertilization and pruning practices.
These techniques work best
when applied to orchards from
planting but can also apply to
mature trees.

Hort funding announced at OFVC
Ontario’s fruit and vegetable growers
will benefit from new technology and
marketing strategies. Member of
Parliament (St. Catharines) and
Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of
Immigration and Citizenship, Rick
Dykstra, made the announcement on behalf
of Agriculture Minister Gerry Ritz at the
Ontario Fruit and Vegetable Convention in
Niagara Falls.
“Our government’s top priority remains
jobs and economic growth, and helping
farmers improve their productivity and
competitiveness plays an important role in
keeping the economy strong,” MP Dykstra
said. “Our government is committed to
helping Ontario’s horticulturalists remain
competitive in global markets and continue
to improve their yields.”
Three horticultural organizations are
receiving $579,000 under the Canadian
Agricultural Adaptation Program (CAAP)
to tackle issues that have been identified by
growers as obstacles to reaching higher
levels of productivity.
The Ontario Fruit and Vegetable
Growers’ Association will be able to grow
new species of tomato and pepper that are
of economic importance to Ontario using
genomics technology, thanks to an
investment of $308,000. “Developing new
crop varieties to meet evolving consumer
demands will help Ontario's fruit and vegetable farmers remain competitive,” says
Ray Duc, Chair of the Ontario Fruit and
Vegetable Growers' Association. "This

crop genetic technology will help position
our industry to adapt more quickly to
changes in the marketplace and contribute
to the long term sustainability of our
sector."

Quality Service

The Ontario Apple Growers is receiving
an investment of $137,000 for a study to
better understand evolving consumer
preferences, in order to better market their
produce. “With this investment, Ontario

Apple Growers will lead a strategy to
introduce signature Ontario apples to the
marketplace. We see this as an important
step to expand provincial acreage, diversify
production and improve our reaction time
in meeting the demand for delicious, locally-grown varieties,” said Brian Gilroy,
Chair, Ontario Apple Growers.
An investment of $133,000 for Seeds of
Diversity Canada will help producers
control seed-borne disease on tomato farms
through ultra-violet radiation, replacing
treatments which have been found to be
either too expensive or result in enormous
losses of seed. “This investment will help
create a new option for seed producers and
purchasers to prevent transmission of seedborne plant diseases, using readily accessible technology that is inexpensive, safe,
easy to use, and chemical-free. We are
developing a UV disinfection method
specifically to address seed-borne diseases
of tomato seeds, but we are confident that
the technique will apply to many other
crop types,” said Bob Wildfong, Executive
Director, Seeds of Diversity.
These investments are provided through
the Canadian Agricultural Adaptation
Program (CAAP), a five-year (2009-2014),
$163-million initiative that helps the
Canadian agricultural sector adapt and
remain competitive. In Ontario, the regional component of this program is delivered
by the Agricultural Adaptation Council.
Source: AAFC new release

Quality Information
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905-688-4300

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604-957-2359

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Laberge (QC)
514-984-4589

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MARCH 2013 –– PAGE B7
THE GROWER

PAGE B8 –– MARCH 2013
THE GROWER

ONTARIO FRUIT AND VEGETABLE CONVENTION

Controlled atmosphere storage for ‘Honeycrisp’ apples?
JENNIFER DEELL
The ‘Honeycrisp’ apple continues to increase in popularity and
production due to its outstanding
flavour and uniqueness in remaining firm during storage.
However, flavour is not always
consistent and there is risk of
developing several physiological
disorders. The objective of a
recent study was to investigate
the effects of controlled atmosphere (CA) storage and
SmartFresh (1-MCP, 1 ppm) on
the physical and sensory quality
of ‘Honeycrisp’ apples during
storage.
Fruit were harvested from
commercial orchards in multiple
years, treated with or without

SmartFresh for 24 hours at 810oC, and stored at 3oC in air or
varying CA regimes (2.5-3.0%
O2 + 1.5-2.0% CO2) for four to
eight months. Physical and sensory attributes were evaluated
during subsequent holding at
room temperature (18-22oC)
within one week. Drs. Isabelle
Lesschaeve and Amy Bowen, at
the Vineland Research and
Innovation Centre, were responsible for the sensory analyses.
‘Honeycrisp’ treated with 1MCP had less peel greasiness and
internal ethylene concentration,
and generally higher soluble
solids and malic acid content,
compared to those without 1MCP. Peel greasiness was also
reduced by CA storage. Soft
scald incidence was higher in air

storage than in CA, while the
effects of 1-MCP on soft scald
were inconsistent.
Internal CO2 injury
was aggravated by
1-MCP and/or
CA, bitter pit
was exacerbated
by 1-MCP, and
senescent
browning was
reduced by
1-MCP in CA
storage. Sensory
evaluations revealed
that ‘Honeycrisp’
treated with 1-MCP had
lower perceived intensities
of “oxidized red apple” and
“earthy” flavours, less perceived
“skin thickness” and “chewy”
textures, and higher “lemony,”

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“fresh green apple” and “acid”
ratings, compared to those with
no 1-MCP. Fruit not treated with
1MCP and stored in air had higher perceived “oxidized red apple”
and “earthy” flavours, and less
perceived intensity of “acid” taste
than those held in CA.
Another study looking at “CA
Storage of ‘Honeycrisp’ Apples”
was published recently in
HortScience (47:886-892, 2012)
by Dr. C.B. Watkins and J.F.
Nock. The abstract of that study
follows:
<< ‘Honeycrisp’ is an apple
that can be stored in air for several months, but the flavour
becomes bland with prolonged
storage. Controlled-atmosphere
(CA) storage recommendations
have not been made in some
growing regions, however,
because of the susceptibility of
fruit to physiological disorders.
In the first year of this study, fruit
from six orchards were stored in
O2 concentrations of 1.5, 3.0 and
4.5% with 1.5 and 3.0% CO2. In
the second year, fruit from three
orchards were stored in three storage regimes (2.0 + 2.0, 3.0 + 1.5,
and 3.0 + 0.5% of O2 +CO2,
respectively) with and without
SmartFresh (1-MCP) treatment at
the beginning or end of the preconditioning regime (10oC for 7
days) that is commercially used
for ‘Honeycrisp’. CA storage had
little effect on flesh firmness,
soluble solids concentration
(SSC), and titratable acidity (TA)
over the range of O2 and CO2
tested. Greasiness was generally
lower in fruit stored in lower O2
and higher CO2. Susceptibility of
fruit to core browning and senescent breakdown varied between
years, but a high incidence of
internal injury in fruit from some
orchards occurred in both years.
1-MCP treatment decreased internal ethylene concentration and
sometimes maintained TA but
had little effect on firmness and
SSC. Senescent breakdown and
core browning incidence were
reduced by 1-MCP treatment
where orchard susceptibility to
these disorders was high.
However, 1-MCP treatment
sometimes increased internal CO2
injury, especially if treatment
occurred at the beginning of the
conditioning period. The susceptibility of ‘Honeycrisp’ to physiological disorders, and specifically
internal CO2 injury, is a major
limitation to the application of
CA storage for this cultivar. It is
likely that CO2 injury will be
manageable by methods such as
delaying the application of CA
storage regimes and/or using
diphenylamine (DPA). However,
CA storage cannot be recommended for storage of New Yorkgrown ‘Honeycrisp’ apples until
management of CO2 injury can
be assured.>>
Jennifer DeEll is OMAFRA’s
Fresh Market Quality Lead,
based in Simcoe, Ontario.

MARCH 2013 –– PAGE B9
THE GROWER

ONTARIO FRUIT AND VEGETABLE CONVENTION

On-the-go consumers can tap Ontario wineries with mobile app
KAREN DAVIDSON
Just in time for the spring season, Grape Growers of Ontario
(GGO) is launching a mobile app
called wineONtour. It was
unveiled at the recent Ontario
Fruit and Vegetable Convention
in Niagara Falls.
“It’s a way to bring a map to
life for those who want to
experience Ontario wines from
different perspectives,” explains
Debbie Zimmerman, CEO,
GGO. “Consumers can choose to
identify wineries which produce
Baco Noir or Pinot Gris, for
example, and set up their wine
trail by varietal of choice.”

“

Debbie Zimmerman: with WineONtour, consumers can identify wineries by varietal of choice

This mobile app
is a great way to find
those hidden gems.”
~ Nick Hubbard

Another way to access
Ontario wine country is through
its various sub-appellations.
Perhaps a consumer wants to see
wineries belonging to the
Beamsville Bench, Prince
Edward County or the newly
named Essex Pelee Island Coast
(EPIC). This mobile app can
select wineries that fit that
descriptor, with GPS coordinates
of how to find specific wineries.
The association stewards a
database with all grape growers,
so it’s uniquely qualified to be
inclusive of all Ontario growers
and wineries. The bonus is that
there’s no cost for Ontario
wineries to be listed.
Besides being a new tool that
can support social media outreach, wineONtour can help tell
the stories of individual growers.
Zimmerman says that their
marketing approach is to keep
connecting consumers with the
faces that grow grapes and
produce wine.
As Nick Hubbard, GGO
systems strategist explains,
version 3.0 will include deeper
profiles. WineONtour works
similar to a Google search on a
touch screen. The user can click
on the category of choice and
then proceed refining the search
with dropdown boxes. The
mobile app will customize a
wine route, with GPS directions
from your home, based on your
selections. There’s even a
connection to make comments
on GGO’s Facebook page.
“This mobile app is a great
way to find those hidden gems,”
says Hubbard. “We’re hoping
this will be a learning aid to
appreciate the nuances of our
various wines.”

Growers have some unusual traditions — things they do every year to ensure a successful growing season. From
the hula girl one grower pulls out at planting, to the barn dance another grower throws after every harvest, you
go with what works. Just like the products that come through for you year after year, why mess with a good thing?

Safety rules the road
CHAD KING, ONTARIO MINISTRY OF TRANSPORTATION
As I write this article I am
preparing my presentation for the
2013 Ontario Fruit and Vegetable
Convention in Niagara Falls. My
challenge is what to convey to
you, the reader, after the convention has already come and gone.
My presentation for the
convention was titled “Farm
Equipment on the Roadway”, so I
will try to pull out some key
information from that.
Before we move forward, it is
important to highlight the responsibilities that I have and the
responsibilities that you have
within the farming industry in
Ontario as it relates to rules of the
road. One of the key roles that I
am responsible for is the
enforcement of various Acts and
Regulations that apply to each of
us in Ontario when it comes to
vehicles on the roadway. From
this, there are two main components: 1) Active enforcement
which involves a variety of
actions used to achieve compliance such as laying charges, plate
removal, immediate defect
repairs, etc., and 2) Passive
enforcement which includes
things such as providing
educational information related to
the issue at hand, warnings for
violations or mechanical issues,
etc. Each officer is responsible for
how they handle each scenario
and may not always be identical
across the board. This would be
known as officer discretion.
The other side of this falls
under the responsibility of the
motoring public. In your case it
will likely have something to do
with farming and farm vehicles.
Quite simply, your responsibility
is to ensure that the rules are
being followed by either yourself,
or any staff you might have
working for you. There is a lot of
information that you need to
know, however the information is
relatively easy to find if you
know where to look. The internet
is an excellent tool for finding
information and, in today’s age,
most of us have access to the
internet on a regular basis. The

Ministry of Transportation
website has pretty much everything you need in order to be in
compliance. There is also an
excellent tool available on the
Ministry of Transportation website known as the “Farm Guide.”
Much of this article has been
gleaned from the Farm Guide. All
of this information can be found
at www.mto.gov.on.ca.
Contacting your local Truck
Inspection Station (TIS) or
stopping by for a visit is another
excellent way to obtain the information you need. Most officers
located at a TIS are more than
willing to answer your questions.
Interacting with an MTO Officer
on your own terms, rather than us
stopping you and laying charges
or putting you out of service, is
always the best way to go!
Let’s move on to some of the
key points from the presentation!
As mentioned, I am not able to go
through the entire presentation
here, however spring is on the
way and summer just after that so
there will be a significant increase
in farm vehicle traffic on Ontario
roads. It made sense to me to
briefly cover some topics that
seem appropriate at this time. The
topics I will cover include:
• Where to Drive On the Road
• Reduced Weight On Roads and
Bridges
• Slow-moving Vehicle Signs
• Turn Signal Requirements
• Driver Qualifications
• Overhanging Loads

Wide equipment generally
requires the use of the travelled
portion of the roadway and the
shoulder. In this case, a driver
should travel primarily on the
travelled portion with the remainder on the shoulder. Straddling
the travelled portion and shoulder
causes a serious risk to both the
farm vehicle driver and any other
vehicle that needs to pass
going in the same
direction.
As a minimum, all farm
equipment must
give up half the
road when being
passed by opposing
traffic or being overtaken.
Reduced Weight On
Roads and Bridges
Farm vehicles are not
subject to weight reductions
on load restricted bridges or
roads or during reduced load
periods. Owners and vehicle operators however, may be liable for
any incident or damage caused
when using weight exemption.

Where to Drive On the Road
With the amount of traffic on
the roadway today, it is very
important that everyone understands what their responsibilities
are. If we all follow the rules it
will allow for consistency across
the province and will reduce the
number of incidents involving
motorists and farm vehicles.
Narrow/Wide Farm Equipment
Narrow farm equipment should
be driven completely on the
travelled portion of the roadway
or the shoulder. If you’re not
sure, drive on the travelled
portion completely.

Slow-moving Vehicle Signs
Slow-moving vehicle signs
warn other road users that the
vehicle displaying the sign is
travelling 40km/h or less. The
sign must be located at the rear of
the vehicle or combination of
vehicles between .6m and 2m
above the road. It must be clearly
visible at a distance of no less
than 150m.
A slow-moving vehicle sign is
not permitted to be displayed on
any vehicle or combination of
vehicles travelling in excess of

40km/h. Attaching a slow-moving
vehicle sign to a fixed object,
such as a mailbox or driveway
marker, is also not permitted.
Crossing the road from one
farm to another does not require
the use of a slow-moving vehicle
sign.
Turn Signal Requirements
Before turning left or right at
any intersection or into a private
road or driveway, moving from
one lane of traffic to another lane
of traffic or leaving or entering

the travelled portion of the road a
driver must ensure that the
movement can be made safely,
and give a signal plainly visible
to the driver of any other vehicle
affected by their movement or
intention to make the movement.
A signal plainly visible to
others can be given either by
signal lamps or using proper
hand/arm signals.
Driver Qualifications
A driver’s licence is not
required to drive a tractor or
self-propelled implement of
husbandry (SPIH) on, along or
across a road however the driver
must be 16 or older to drive on,
or along a road. Drivers under 16
are permitted to drive a tractor or
SPIH directly across the road.
Overhanging Loads
Every vehicle, including farm
equipment, carrying a load that
overhangs the rear of the vehicle
1.5m or more must display a red
flag or red marker at the extreme
rear of the load. A slow-moving
vehicle sign satisfies the requirement of a red flag or marker on
farm equipment. A red lamp must
be used at the rear of the load
during night time.

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